Excerpt from interview with Samantha Tipler:
“SAT: Could you tell us about your work as a clown and performing to vulnerable children in Europe.
KL: This was an incredibly humbling experience to use my trade to help others. I volunteered with The Flying Seagull Project and did their Miles of Smiles tour. We did clown shows and circus skills workshops in Germany, Hungary and Romania performing everywhere from schools to detention centres to villages. Seeing the children cry with laughter during the shows was so special but seeing their mum or dad grinning and clapping and joining in was something I will never forget. Being in the room together, we weren’t audience and performer or refugee and non-refugee; we were human.“
SAT: Have the experiences overseas inspired your recent writing and also influenced your performing style?
KL: My performance style has become a lot more physical, especially with comedy. When you perform to audiences who don’t speak English as their first language you need your body and face to tell the story and connect to them. My experience with The Flying Seagulls influenced my attitude towards performing by reminding me how lucky I am to live in a country where, despite minimal arts funding, I am free to pursue this career and make my own work. If they can’t, I will.“
Katie Lees 