da Donatella Pazzelli

"Oh! How good ‘The Clown’ was!"  said my 5-year-old daughter to her father when we she returned home.  And, in fact, the young girl’s judgement was shared by everybody.

 ‘The Clown’ is the latest theatrical production of "The Camerino Players” and was staged with the patronage of the Comune di Camerino, the University of Camerino, the Province of Macerata and of AMAT. It was first performed on Sunday afternoon at the Theatre Filippo Marchetti before a numerous, enthusiastic and very young audience.

 The show is based on an original idea of Sydney Higgins, who wrote the script, commissioned the music and produced and directed the play. The story revolves around three characters: two clowns who speak only English and a circus ring-master who speaks only Italian and, in addition to his involvement on stage, acts as an intermediary between the public and the two clowns who work in his circus.  Economic restrictions force him to choose between the two clowns who, after the initial competition with no holds barred in striving to be the best - as ordered by the director - they become friends and allies, getting of the ring-master-despot by packing him up and sending him "to the jungle ".

The dialogue between the two players imaginatively used words and phrases based on a structured vocabulary and grammatical structure especially designed for the age and the linguistic knowledge of the young audience in the theatre. How successful this was achieved is demonstrated by the fact that all of them remained involved throughout the whole duration of the show.

This was a highly effective and successful show that amply fulfilled the intention set for the production, namely allowing young children to encounter and absorb simple English through fun and enjoyment.

The music by Lamberto Lugli, the professional musician who for many years has collaborated with Higgins, perfectly complemented the whole show with its circus set, designed by Finlay Cowan and Clare Giulianini, and the vital, colourful and perfectly executed movements and dialogue of the actors (Claudio Sagretti as the Ring Master with Tiziano Giglio and Francesca Di Pastena as the clowns). Special mention must be given to Francis Concetti, who was responsible for the lighting and sounds, to the costume designer, Janette Swift, and to Caroline Crawford and Tiziana Zucconi who provided ideas for the clowns. But, above all, praise and honour must be given to Sydney Higgins, the writer and theatre director from England who has for many years been resident in the city, for this outstanding work, refined and original, that has debuted with great success in Camerino and will hopefully reach many other prestigious shores to involve and entertain many other children.