Welcome back to our Offbeat Spotlight series. Over the next few days we're highlighting all the strange and wonderful things that the Offbeat Festival has to offer. The Offbeat Festival runs from the 9th-15th of September, and is a collaboration between The Old Fire Station, Oxford Playhouse, New Theatre and Gloucester Green Market. In addition to a multitude of shows, there are also workshops, and exhibition, late night events including a poetry slam, comedy scratch night, and listening party, and more.
Here, we catch up Joe Dieffenbacher, who is performing a piece for Offbeat in Gloucester Green Sunday afternoon called The Trap. Described as 'An homage to great Silent Film comedians...Buster Keaton on the loose at the Chelsea Flower Show' the piece is a blend of physical comedy, prop play, acrobatics, slapstick and dance. Read on to find out more.
Daily Information: Hi Joe, thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us today. How would you describe The Trap to someone unfamiliar?
Joe Dieffenbacher: It's a mix of acrobatic slapstick and subtle physical comedy, a clown-like character who's suspicious of the world around him but also eager to play with it.
DI: Your show is an homage to silent film comedians and blends slapstick with acrobatics, dance and more. How did you first find yourself creating in this inventive medium?
JD: I started as a juggler and acrobat, worked as a circus clown in America and Europe, and over the years developed a unique style that combined circus skills with dance, physical comedy and improvisation with the audience.
DI: What do you wish more people knew about the art of Clowning?
JD: It's so much more than just red noses, garish costumes and makeup. My definition is simple: any comedian who uses physical play to connect with the audience, could be considered a clown. The art form has a much broader palette to choose from than Stand Up comedy. Clowns will use dance, acrobatics, mime, skills such as magic, juggling, object manipulation, silent acting, puppetry, and masks, to create a more visual and immediate play with the audience. Examples include: Chaplin, Keaton, Rowan Atkinson, Mischief Theatre (the Play that Goes Wrong), John Cleese (Ministry of Silly Walks), Lucille Ball, Tweedy, and lesser-known artists who work in theatres, festivals and cabarets.
DI: After this show, what’s next for you?
JD: I will teach in Vienna for Red Noses International, a worldwide organisation that uses clowning in crisis areas such as refugee camps and hospitals, using the power of playfulness and laughter to help people heal. Then it's six months on tour in Europe with Holiday on Ice. I'm the only person not on skates, slipping and sliding on the ice, providing comic relief and audience participation in a show filled with amazing skaters, ingenious special effects and stunning visuals. So, both ends of the clowning spectrum this Winter! Follow my Instagram to stay in the loop.
DI: Who is this ‘perfect for fans of’? If you had to compare the vibes of your show to another piece of media, what would it be?
JD: Those who like silent film comedians such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Fans of Mischief Theatre and their "Goes Wrong" series of plays and TV specials. The show is silent and played to music so it's not limited by language or culture. There are comic moments that will get the parents laughing as well as the kids, granddad and grandma. Because it's outdoors and plays in the round, the show is a chance for the audience to be part of the play in a more immediate way, with plenty of audience participation. With street theatre there is no 'fourth wall', the artist will directly engage with you, which creates a sense of community and joy within the audience. The Trap is designed to be a celebration of play, participation and comedy, not just 'a show'.
DI: Finally, please describe The Trap in three words.
NPG: Playfully, seriously silly.
The Trap is on in Gloucester Green, on Sun 15th Sep, 2.30pm. For more info and to book tickets, click here.