Titus the clown: from titus Andronicus

My adaptation of Shakespeare’s most disputed play.
In an age of brutal power politics, a grotesque war crimes, a dark clown operatic adventure into the worst sides of humanity. Silly, raw, passionate and furious.

Concert at the Castle

I co-produced, curated and performed in the first (in a very long time) full scale concert in the ruins of Hastings Castle.
Featuring musical performances and collaboration with Tullis Rennie, Tara Franks, Balladeste, Bev Lee Harling, Davood Jafari.
~ Lighting design by Peter Hudson ~ Costume design by Annika Thiems ~ Sound design by Raphael Knapp ~ Co produced by Charlotte Tingley and TUFT arts ~ Poster design by Clare Noon ~
This concert was an exploration into memory, humanity, war and legacy.
I performed Judith Weir’s piece as the source memory to an unfolding string of related, mutating, evolving and meshing musical recollections. You will be treated to Persian inspired music, folk song, soaring strings, playful electronics and a multi-genre multi-artist collaboration!

The Motherhood Series

Ongoing performances responding to Motherhood.

Belly

A limited-time-only-for-obvious-reasons piece about impending life shifts and births and rebirths and stuff.
Performed at “Liquid Consciousnes” - a collaboration with Wardrobe Productions (a tiny West-End theatre inside a wardrobe) and James Oldham.
Also performed at Fools Moon cabaret night.
*photo by Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad*

New Mama’s Recital

A classical song cycle duet with my own labour audio. Birth is painful and beautiful and terrifying and glorious and I wanted to capture that.
Featuring breast milk.
Performed as part of the Babes in Arms artist mother collective gallery opening, Big Yin Gallery, St Leonards-on-sea.
*photo by Rachel Manns*

12 Months

A response to the first year of Motherhood.
I collected baby grows that people no longer wanted or couldn’t pass on, and built a costume in which the tired Mother cowers as she carries her baby-dictator who she can’t help but love fiercely.
Performed at the launch of the Babes in Arms collective exhibition at the De La Warr Pavilion.
*photo by Hattie Hambridge*

Toothbrush Strauss

Using recordings of my daughter adamantly (and creatively) refusing to brush her teeth, violinist Naomi Burrell, cellist Tara Franks and I attempt to perform *Beim Schlafengehn* by Strauss.
Giant toothbrushes and lots of toothopaste make an appearance.
Performed at the Henry Ward Hall as a part of XMTR Festival.
*Photo by Rachel Manns.*

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CLOWN and opera research

I’m curious about how the intensity, bravado, fearlessness of opera + the vulnerability, playfulness and silliness of clown intersect. How they might fight and how they might feed.

solarpunk clown opera

In February 2023, I ran a week of workshops as part of Trinity Laban Conservatoire’s CoLab, exploring Clowning and Opera and how the two forms meet. We used the emerging genre of Solarpunk as inspiration, and created a new piece of performance art that was profound, silly and powerful.
It was great.

bel canto banter

A rehearsal recording of my exploration into form-play.
Here, Giulietta is about to drink that poison. She doesn’t want to actually die. Here, I play with adding all kinds of extensions the the notes, the music, the distractions… so as not to complete the aria and thus have to risk dying.
Piano played by Chris Kirkham.

My Opera Clown Research Essay

Leon Cavallo’s

“I Pagliacci”

An operatic masterpiece staged by a bunch of hapless clowns, randomly bundled together instrumentalists and overtrained opera singers.

Characters

THe Conductor

Marlin

An existential fish trapped on a hook, contemplating the purpose of life. Developed with Siri Mai Knutsen.
Seen at Fools Moon, Soho Theatre (London); Eden Studios (Berlin).

Wizwitch

As spotted at: Nozstock Festival; The Lost Cabaret (Betsy Trotwood, LONDON); Piñata (The Old Nun’s Head); Whole Punch (The Rosemary Branch)

Roquefort: the woman who was found in a bin

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As seen at: Scribble Pie (The Others, Stoke Newington); Gail and Gemma’s Christmas Notivity (Streatham Space Project); Whole Punch (Rosemary Branch Pub Theatre); Piñata (The Old Nun’s Head)

SHerry; Clint’s Wife

Sherry made a surprise visit to Clint at Waste Paper Opera’s ‘Whole Punch’ in 2018, and they visited a few big birthday parties together in 2019.

The Villain of Chaos

the beast appeared at Eden Studios (Pankow, Berlin) and Artistania (Neukölln, Berlin).

Big Berg (solo show)

A super physical, surrealist, clownishly profound adventure, exploring why it is that people take great risks, ideas of pride and bravery, existential crises and what it means to be really, really cold.

Performed at:

Live Drafts - The Yard Theatre 2018

Pulse Festival - Ipswich 2018

Brighton Fringe 2018

Edinburgh Fringe 2018

Alrewas Arts Festival 2018

Bridport Lyric Theatre 2019

Rosemary Branch Theatre 2020

Read the 5* review here

listen to some of the soundtrack here

Featured on BBC 2’s “Edinburgh Nights” with Nish Kumar, 2018

Supported by and developed at The Yard Theatre, Shoreditch Town Hall & PULSE Festival Ipswich

Film Shorts by Jim&Ellie

Bursting

The mulberry bush in the garden of my childhood home has always seemed both luxurious and disgusting to me.

I love the contradiction of this tree. The dappled morning sun gloriously shines through the lime green, matte leaves, and as you peer in, gory juice splatters the leaves, and the branches hum with wasps and flies. Enormous berries litter the inside of every branch, throbbing and purple - sumptuous, delicious and completely impossible to pick.

Made for Coastal Currents Festival 2025

Filmed and Edited by Jim Ralley

Watch here