GREAT WINGS

A world-famous clown, theatre director and performance artist. Founder of the Litsedei theatre, creator of Slava’s Snowshow, of the international community the Academy of Fools, and of Le Moulin Jaune — an artistic space in France conceived as a total work of art.

In 1989 Polunin gathered the Caravan of Peace, a journey of hundreds of clowns, musicians and street performers across Europe in the days the Iron Curtain fell. His work turned clowning from a circus genre into a universal language of contemporary theatre and performance.

Charlie Chaplin turned clowning into the high art of cinema. The Tramp he created became one of the most recognisable symbols of the twentieth century. He was the first to join comedy with deep human drama and social satire, proving that a clown can speak about the things that matter most — dignity, loneliness and compassion.

Emmett Kelly created Weary Willie, the sad tramp who changed what a circus clown could be. His character was not a noisy joker but a man with an inner life, opening a new direction of lyrical and dramatic clowning.

Mikhail Rumyantsev, known as Karandash (“Pencil”), is considered the founder of the Soviet school of clowning. He taught several generations of performers, among them Yuri Nikulin and Oleg Popov. His work combined satire, warm humour and vivid stage presence.

Leonid Yengibarov created the genre of poetic clowning. He gave up the usual circus gags for physical theatre, lyricism and philosophical content, and had a lasting influence on contemporary theatre and mime.

Annie Fratellini was one of the first women to win international recognition as a clown. Continuing the famous Fratellini circus dynasty, she made a great contribution to preserving classical European clowning and to the development of professional circus education.

Marcel Marceau made the art of mime known throughout the world. His character Bip became the symbol of the silent theatre of the twentieth century. Thanks to Marceau, the movement of the human body became a language of its own, understood regardless of country or tongue.

Oleg Popov created the image of the Sunny Clown, full of kindness, light and sincerity. His work became a symbol of the Soviet circus and had a great influence on the world culture of clowning in the second half of the twentieth century.

Pipo is one of the best-known clown figures in the Netherlands, created by Wim Meuldijk. The character introduced several generations of children to circus and theatre, and became an important part of Dutch cultural tradition.

Yuri Nikulin was one of the greatest clowns of the twentieth century, joining circus art to an outstanding career as a film actor. His duo with Mikhail Shuydin entered circus history, and his human warmth and fine sense of humour made him a favourite of millions.

Charlie Rivel is considered one of the greatest European clowns of the twentieth century. His inimitable physicality, musicality and minimalism created a stage character that profoundly shaped modern clowning.