Little Lark of London

Clowns and sex – Two things that typically aren’t found in the same conversation, let alone the same sentence! But, for Natasha Sutton Williams, those two words became the title of her show, Clown Sex. I recently had the chance to speak with Natasha about the story behind the show and what she hopes audiences will take away from it. 

How did you come up with the concept for Clown Sex? 

If you can believe it, around ten years ago I was commissioned by a youth theatre to adapt a show that used the metaphor of clowns for Eastern European trafficked sex workers. It was a rather strange premise, but what sparked my interest was the idea of clown sex itself. Who would want to have sex with a clown? How would you seek it out? What would clown sex look and feel like? I decided I wanted to tell the story of a clown sex ingénue. At that moment, Gary Strange was born. 

What has the creative process been like for creating Gary Strange and the world of Clown Sex? 

The show has been developed over many years and keeps developing! For each production, I always edit the script with little nuances to keep it relevant and funny. During the pandemic I adapted it into a 6-part comedy drama podcast, which was a great experience. It has much more material in it than I am able to illustrate in an hour show, and I am able to delve more deeply into the world of the characters. You can listen to the Clown Sex podcast wherever you get your pods! Here is a link to it on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3oCmcBVAsFhqCQnOmNsoRi 

What is it like creating a show that blends physical theatre, comedy, and tragedy?

To get it ‘right’ is quite difficult. On the surface, Clown Sex sounds like a kooky, crazy show, but a huge amount of time and effort has gone into the complexity of the writing. All good tragedy has baked in laughs. All good comedy has tragic moments – that’s what I’m trying to create with Clown Sex.

Also, a good director helps! They bring out nuances in the text that I as the writer/performer won’t have consciously recognised. Together we can emphasise those through the physicality, vocal intonation and character motivations.

What do you hope audiences take away from Clown Sex?

Clown Sex is designed to entertain, provoke and titillate in equal measure. It’s freaky, funny and at times a little disturbing. But the message of the show is to invite people to lean into their secret desires, and seek out new experiences, even if society deems them to be unsavoury. As long as it’s consensual, this play is saying ‘Be free!’ Clown Sex is trying to promote not just a liberation of sexual freedom, but a liberation of thought, particularly when it comes to society’s judgements on individuals. You’ll have to come and experience the show to see if it delivers.

How would you describe Clown Sex in one word?

Wild!

Natasha Sutton Williams will perform Clown Sex at the Edinburgh Festival at 1.45pm in Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker Two) from 2nd – 27th August (Not 16th, 21st or 28th). To book, visit https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/clown-sex 

Photo Credit: Rowan Spray