Riverflow Royále 53 - Sean Gittins

with Sir Adam Allegretto & Sean Gittins

In this episode Adam is very happy to be interviewing Sean Gittins, who he got to know at a mask workshop taught by Peter Sweet. (Peter was also already a guest on riverflow royal, listen to Episode 30). Both really enjoyed playing with each other, Adam because he thinks Sean is a very interesting person, Sean because he felt that Adam is very open-minded and not a professional performer.

Now they are sitting together after Seans second performance at the Spektakeltal as a Clown.
First they talk About Seans journey of getting into clownery. He shares his first memory, when he felt like he was performing for his mother and brother. It made him feel like he existed in a way, he never existed before, making them laugh very hard at the age of five. But he was way too shy to go on stage, till he joined drama class at 16. After that he joined many different schools, learned from many gurus of acting and clowning, trying to find his own way. So they ask what even is a Clown? How do you make people laugh? What's the difference between a clown and an entertainer?

To Sean, a clown is very vulnerable and honest. A clown thinks, he is doing something good, and the audience laughs, because the Clown thinks, that he is good; he's not aware, that he's being funny. To Sean it's all about honesty.
This being honest, vulnerable and open for the audience also helps Sean at his work as a play therapist. At play therapy, the children play out their trauma. Sean's job is to witness the play and hold a place of acceptance to give room for their own healing process. Adam points out, that he was also amazed how Sean treated two very stressful and disturbing kids at his performance tonight. He hugged them first after the show. Sean admits that he had more fun playing the day before, but he's very proud of himself, being able to stay true to himself and his character Ap. Five years ago he might heave just left the stage, 10 years ago very likely cried. But clowning is about awareness and being true to the moment. He asks Adam why he thinks the girls stopped at one point, but Adam doesn't know the answer.

For Sean it's about the way he's playing. The wider the stage and the more outgoing the audience, he has to play bigger. It's hard to find the balance between his Character Ap, who is shy, but also playing being big enough for the surrounding. After a short break for changing the tapes, one of the guests asks about the song, Ap was singing on stage. It's the end of the show and he performed "Hey jude", which really touched her and made her feel sadness.

Sean explains, that is Character is connected to him, that Ap comes from a difficult place and was a very sad clown at the beginning. But now it's more about the being alive, Ap can be very very happy, but also very very sad. When he sings that song he feels loved for the first time, he feels seen and wants to see. The song means a lot to Seans partner but also touches him a lot. He doesn't know why, but he feels it, and it's enough to feel it. It's a special moment for him, when he says "I love you" to the audience. For Sean clowns give us the eyes we lost as children. He wants to work on his character in that way, he's still developing Ap, now he wants to become a clinic Clown.

Adam has a short black out there, when Sean asks him if he ever interviewed a clinic Clown, what he denies (Just go back one Episode and listen to Jennifer Rom) At the end, Adam asks Sean only some of his standard Questions because time is running short. You can find Sean on Instagram: aptheclown.

Cheer up, you miserable bastards


Erstausstrahlung: 25.09.2024 / 24oo-01oo