Class Clown

Maggie Irving from Exmouth isn’t your stereotypical circus clown with a red nose and comedy footwear and she’s certainly nobody’s fool. With a PhD in the subject, she’s positively serious about teaching the art of  clowning to the uninitiated, as SHARON GOBLE discovered.

- Sharon Goble

THE first time I went along to one of Maggie Irving’s courses, some years ago, she had me howling at the moon like a wolf. Talk about “howling with laughter” - I found it both hilarious and cathartic. So I was prepared for anything when I ventured along to one of her recent “clowning classes” in Exmouth. Just as well...

A class with Maggie is about seeing the world in a different way, embracing the ridiculous and letting go of your inhibitions in front of an audience. So she had me emerging from behind a screen, improvising a range of facial expressions and exaggerated movements to express my emotions about the best and worst bits of my body. If you don’t mind, I’ll keep the details close to my chest.

“Clowning seeps into your everyday life. It’s an art form that becomes part of who you are,” Maggie tells me. “You notice the detail, are mindful of yourself, pick up on body language. It’s a wonderful skill to have in real life, it helps you empathise with people and I love it.”