Clowns Without Borders – Ireland
Nepal Expedition 2006
Report: Week 4
Tuesday 24th
After the huge audiences of Damak we were brought back down to earth in our
first show back in Kathmandu. It had been organized in conjunction with “Just
One” a small NGO run by Cork man Declan Murphy that helps street children go
back to school.
A crowd of 40 children sat on the school playground floor, not sure what was
coming. The term “Clown Show” never seems to translate until afterwards.
Refreshed after our day off we stuck bottles of water on top of our umbrellas
and hoisted them over our heads. We three clowns looked at each other as if to
say “Lets give it socks!” and out we paraded into the playground.
From the very beginning the audience were captivated…They rocked with laughter
as Sam teased Colm with Colm’s own hat….They delighted in our chase as we found
great bursts of energy to fly down the slide or spin on the wee merry go round.
During our Pet Dog routine we noticed a giggle coming from up over our heads.
We turned to find a family all sitting in their window-sill smiling away. They
refused when we called on them to pay us the 500euro ticket price, that was when
we noticed the other uninvited (but very welcome) spectators. Just like at our
other shows we had people appearing high on balconies or perched on trees, low
down poking through gaps in fences or sneakily behind us peering over a wall.
This show also welcomed the return of proper bubbles blown over the audiences’
little heads. Jonathan had fallen on his bubble container during one of the
shows in Damak and had since spent hours experimenting with inferior bubble
mixtures. Thankfully one of the monks at our Monastery guesthouse suggested
shampoo.
The kids were stunned into a gasped silence as Samo popped one of Jono’s bubbles
only to produce his transparent contact ball out of the air. It has been one of
the joys of this trip to witness the amazement on the children’s faces as Sam
manipulates the ball, making it dance across his arms and chest.
The only glitch we had in this show was when nobody dared join in for the tennis
routine. Luckily Jonathan saved the day by hurling the caretaker into his arms
and carting him onto the stage. Phew!
As we were leaving Declan reconfirmed to us how worthwhile these shows are.
He’d brought along the five street children that he’s presently working with.
He called Sam aside and said; “Two of my children laughed non-stop for an hour.
The first time I’ve seen them laugh in 8 months.”
Wednesday 25th
Today we visited Maiti Nepal, one of the NGOs that CWB has performed to in the
past. A refuge for women and children affected by trafficking, it was set up in
1993 and is funded by the Nepalese monarchy.
On arrival we immediately felt a distinct air of togetherness in what is a
fairly large complex in a nondescript area of the city.
The entirely female audience was spread out across the lawn in the shade to the
right of the stage.
We paraded out under our raining umbrellas and climbed up onto the stage. The
children peeped up at us with wide eyes as we sprung into action. During our
tennis routine we played with the most beautiful little girl who had a smile
that filled the stage. Jonathan almost ignore the tennis part of the tennis
routine just so that he could keep teasing the smile out of her and let it
spread out into the audience.
Sam blindfolded Colm and sent him wandering out into the audience. Colm weaved
in and out between the little girls who giggled and screamed with excitement.
The last joke was on Colm though as he couldn’t find his way up the steps with
the blindfold on and had to wait for Jon to drag him up by the length of his
tie.
It was a delightful show to perform and afterwards when we’d changed into our
civilian clothes we raced out to play some more. We were given a tour of the
center where we cradled babies and goo-gooed toddlers. Colm was a hit with the
not so terrible twos and found himself a fine dancing partner in her late 3’s.
Sam played hackysack with an expert while a crowd looked on and Jonathan had
great fun teasing more smiles out of his tennis girl while marshalling the cue
for supper.
At the end of it all Sam and Colm fell in love with a little girl with Aids and
a smile that would cut right through you.
Thursday 26th
The first of our two shows was in the early morning at Child Welfare Home, a run
down orphanage with bright eyed vibrant children whose eyes popped out of their
heads when they saw Colm throw Jonathan into a backflip.
Post show the little boys showed off their tirelessness with twists and jumps,
all the while pleading with Jon to “do that thing from the show”. Unfortunately
it was his turn to have a bad tummy so despite their pleas all he could do was
smile and rest before the next show.
In the afternoon we visited Balnapad, an orphanage situated in a large white
manor in the grounds of a great estate. We played in a beautiful little theatre
with velvet curtains. Our audience were the most mannerly bunch of children who
sat motionless for 20 minutes while we stretched on stage.
They screeched each time Jonathan’s balloons were popped and laughed when he
cried. The little boys and girls cheered when we brought one of their friends
on stage. Sam put out his hand and the little boy put out his hand, Sam
swiveled his hips and the little boy did the same while the children cheered for
more. Colm and Jonathan elevated the boy with a simple canter-leaver and spun
him around the stage, his friends roaring out his name. The children loved our
songs and sang them loudly as they left the theatre after the show. The halls
of the manor rang with “One bottle of pop!”
Part of the Manor is used by an adoption agency and on or way out we met a happy
German couple. They had just picked up their adopted two year old daughter for
the first time. The little girl beamed wider the couple.
Friday 27th
Today we performed for one of our most receptive audiences at the Tibetan
reception center. This center provides shelter and support for Tibetan refugees
who arrive after an often treacherous walk across the mountains on the way to
Dharam Sala in India.
Over 200 Tibetans pilled into the hall and sat down on the thick woolen blankets
strewn across the floor. From the very beginning of our show we knew this show
was special. The crowd cheered as we made our way on stage, they roared as Sam
stomped on Colm’s hat and wooped when they saw Jono’s bald head.
As the audience electrified the room with their energy we soaked it all up and
gave one of our wildest shows of the tour.
Being an entirely different audience to what we’ve gotten used to, we they
didn’t expect their reactions to certain things. Normally women blushed when
Colm serenaded them on to the stage with his romantic singing. Here they curled
up into a tight ball and refused to budge. All the gentle pulling and coaxing
in the world wouldn’t move them. Colm had to sing to one of our western friends
instead.
Strangest of all was the reaction of a boy that Jonathan called up on stage for
his magic routine. On arrival, without warning the boy stands behind Jono and
leaps up on to his back. Not quite understanding what the child was up to, Jono
goes from trying to gently shake the child off his back, to wildly swinging his
hips and shoulders while the boy refuses to loosen his grip. When Jonathan
finally succeeds and manages to perform the magic trick, he gets his revenge by
surprising the boy and leaping up on to his back. The boy does all he can to
jump off the stage and run back into the audience while Jono grins wildly.
Saturday 28th
Today we did a bonus show.
All week we have been staying in the Guesthouse of Benchen Monastery in the
Swoyambu area of Kathmandu. It is such an oasis of quiet in this bustling city
and we have enjoyed resting there in the evenings after our shows.
Each day we have trotted past all the monks with our suitcases and props on our
way to perform elsewhere. Today we performed a special show for the children of
the monastery.
Our stage was the steps of the Monastery Temple, the most ornate stage we’ll
probably ever perform on. While we prepared in a small broom cupboard at the
front of the temple, we could see our audience gathering on a long mat stretched
across the courtyard.
It is not often that our costumes are overshadowed by those of the audience but
our audience doesn’t normally consist of shaven headed little boys sitting cross
legged in maroon red robes. It was a sight to behold. Boys from the age of 5
upwards sat in front while their elders stood dotted about, leaning on pillars,
looking down from ledges, and thankfully all messing and laughing like any boys
or young men the world over. Just before we began there was a rush as a large
group of children from the Umbrella Foundation turned up. We three clowns sang
a song together in the broom cupboard before launching ourselves at our last
audience of the trip. “Rose, Rose, Rose red..”
From the very beginning as we exited out onto the monastery
courtyard with our multicoloured umbrellas, we enjoyed the surreal-ness of it
all. During a chase scene we flung monks sandals at each other and ducked
behind pillars. When Colm ran at Sam, a monk got startled and started running;
Sam got excited and chased him. It was a great sight; Sam in his big hat and
striped shirt running at the monk whose shawl and blood red robes fluttered in
the air.
Every moment was full of surprises as monks did what we in the west wouldn’t
expect. Jonathan met his match in a monk who wouldn’t take his messing and knew how to
dish out his own.
There were lots of feisty clown–monk face offs that thrilled us clowns as much
as the monks who got to show they could play too.
Overall it was an unforgettable show and a just end to our tour.
Jonathan Gunning
I would like to offer my sincere thanks to everybody who helped us to realise
this trip.
Culture Ireland, Fire Design, Spirit Nightclub, Karin Giggles, Jess Schnabel,
and all our Mammies and Daddies and friends.
If you wish to help fund our future trips please contact me on this email:
jonathanofgunning@yahoo.com
For more Information on Clowns Without Borders please contact:
www.clownswithoutborders.org
Much love and plenty of giggles from me, Sam Meyler, and Colm O’Grady