London Clown Festival marks tenth anniversary with international line-up across Soho Theatre and Jacksons Lane

The London Clown Festival will return for its tenth anniversary edition this summer, bringing a programme of contemporary clowning, physical comedy and absurdist performance to Soho Theatre and Jacksons Lane from 30^th May to 13^th June.

Founded in 2016 by performers and teachers Dan Lees and Henry Maynard, the festival has become a fixture of London’s comedy scene, championing clown and physical performance from artists across the UK and internationally. This year’s line-up features performers from Poland, Mexico, Venezuela, Australia, Italy and the USA alongside established names from the British clowning scene.

The festival opens with its annual Opening Cabaret at Jacksons Lane on 30^th May, hosted by Lara Ricote and featuring appearances from Julia Masli, Josh Glanc, Jamie Wood and more.

Highlights from the wider programme include Gaulier teacher Carlo Jacucci’s internationally acclaimed solo show VITAMIN, Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Josh Glanc previewing a new work-in-progress, and Dru Cripps bringing his improvised loopstation comedy show Juicy Bits to Soho Theatre. Jamie Wood will also present O No!, his Total Theatre Award-shortlisted clown show inspired by Yoko Ono.

Alongside performances, the festival will host workshops including Puppetry for Clowns: 2 Day Intensive Course, led by Olivier-nominated actress and puppeteer Caroline Partridge.

Running across both Soho Theatre and Jacksons Lane, the festival continues its mission to expand ideas of what clowning can be, focusing on physical theatre, audience interaction, bouffon and visually inventive contemporary comedy rather than traditional circus clowning.