Why do fools fool?

Apr 12 2019

Holly Stoppit
Image credit: Inside the mind of a fool, collage by Fool, Genevieve Davis

Last weekend, having discovered a cunning way out of my own book-writing procrastination hell, which involved connecting back with the parts of me that had originally embarked on the adventure of writing a book, I posed the question to the Fools in training: which parts of you want to perform in the Easter Beyond The Ridiculous public shows?

I wrote down their answers and shaped their collective text into a poem.

Why do Fools Fool?

When I was 21,
I did a parachute jump,
Just to see
If I would.

Fooling is like that;
Flying, jumping.
I feel free
When I'm playing.

Vulnerability is right at the top,
Desperate to be seen.
Beyond The Ridiculous was the most authentic thing
I have ever seen.

I remember thinking,
There's people who feel as scared,
As sad, as mad, as strange
As me!

I'm a great big show off,
Craving connection with audiences,
With humans,
So that I too can feel like a human.

I feel like I have something to give,
I have it in my power
To help people reconnect with themselves
Just by being human.

Augusto Boal states:
“The purpose of theatre,
Is for life to look at itself.”
That's my work in the cosmos!

Fooling is an efficient way,
To fulfil that role,
Just to stand on stage
And notice what's happening.

Improvised academia is tricky,
But improvised playfulness,
-Now that,
I can do!

I'll do anything, to explore
My own psyche!
I used to take drugs
And now I'm a clown.

It's changed my life
It's profound, deep, ridiculous stuff
It's hard to explain
You've got to see it to believe it!

All these made up roles
With class and gender and race,
Everyone seems to be divided.
We're all looking for connection.

It's a big thing
To try to ease the suffering of the world!
A few moments of laughter and connection
Is what I have to offer.

When I was a kid
I made a baseball cap
I knew it was shit
but I wanted to people to see it.

So I found 5 or 6 fun things
To do with it, to entertain.
Always the class clown,
Seeking connection through play.

It's like a big experiment,
A world of play and feeling,
The audience watch
And vicariously, they've experienced it too.

If this tickles your fancy, click here to buy your tickets now! 

Beyond The Ridiculous ride again at The Wardrobe Theatre for three nights, 19, 20 and 21 April. More info here.

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