Watch a video or a live performance involving clowns as a starting point.

• Which parts made you laugh the most?
• Did all the clowns act in the same way? What were their characters like?
• Why do you think people find clowns funny?
• How do clowns make themselves look funny?

[Encourage the children to think about characteristics of clowns’ appearance.
Clowns are usually dressed in outrageous costumes, which often have
exaggerated features, e.g. very baggy trousers, a tiny hat, a huge bow tie. They
sometimes make themselves look very fat, very tall or very small. They have
painted faces that often exaggerate a particular feature like their eyes or mouth.
Their costumes are often brightly coloured with striking patterns. Clowns
sometimes carry accessories, such as a broken umbrella or a bunch of flowers
to use in their act.]

• What sorts of things do clowns do to try to make you laugh?
• How do they move? How do they sound? How do they behave?

[Discuss how clowns often exaggerate their movements, e.g. they might have a funny walk taking great big strides or move
their hands around a lot in big gestures. They might sound funny by using a very high voice or they might play an instrument
like a whistle or a horn. They do things to try to make people laugh such as play tricks on one another or tell jokes. They are
very skilful at mime and sometimes do balancing acts, tumbling or juggling.]

Ask the children to work in pairs to consider different possibilities for their act as clowns.

• What sort of character could you be? How could you make your face look happy, grumpy, sad, mischievous?
• What sort of funny walk could you have? Could you walk with huge strides or tiny steps or walk in a wavy line?
• Could you include gymnastics or simple juggling in your act?
• Could you learn and tell some jokes or sing a funny song?

Ask the children to make decisions about their act and to rehearse it, planning a beginning, middle and an end. They could
draw up a storyboard to help them to plan and rehearse. Encourage them to improve their performance and to work to time.

Show the children the Playsuits, paints, markers and other materials available for their clown costumes. They may want to
add their own extras from home such as a funny hat or fun glasses. Encourage the children to consider what they will be
doing in their costume so that they make it suitable for their character and their act.

When the children have painted their Playsuits and prepared any other aspects of their costumes, they will need to rehearse
their comedy act with their partner. Organise a comedy show when each pair can entertain the rest of the class.

Children could design and make funny hats or props for their act in design and technology.
Children could develop gymnastics sequences or simple juggling techniques in P.E.
Children could develop their clown costumes and comedy acts as part of a charity fund-raising event at school
or in the local community.

Meeting curriculum requirements:

Children will be learning to respond to and analyse a comedy performance. They will be exploring the use of language,
actions and costume to convey characters and emotions and to construct comic situations. Children will be developing
their skills in creating and performing an act. There are opportunities for children to use and develop their art, design
and craft skills and gymnastic and ball skills.

Tips for Painting:

Playsuits must be kept flat when they are being painted and not worn until they are dry
Paint could be applied to large areas with a small sponge and/or brushes
Try to keep one set of sponges and brushes for each colour
Have different size brushes available and encourage the children to find out what marks each brush will make.
Encourage the children to paint boldly
If things go wrong wipe out with a damp cloth
Pieces of fabric or foil can be glued on to the Playsuit using water-based glue.
However remember that the children will be moving around so any decoration added on needs to be robust!

Useful Reference:

Television or video programmes of performances involving clowns. Joke books, fiction and non-fiction books, cards and
posters with stories, images and information about clowns. Web sites about clowns and comedy. Your local theatre or
drama in education group might run workshops for children or be prepared to visit the school. Your regional arts board
Drama officer will have details.

What you will need:

Access to a live performance or recording of a comedy act involving clowns. Playsuits, paint, water jugs, paper towels,
brushes, sponges, small trays or plates, scissors, pieces of brightly coloured fabric or foil, water-based glue, paper
and pencils, balls or beanbags, extras for their clown costumes.

None