Working Class Clown

PURCHASE TICKETS

The Biennale of Sydney and Performance Space present Working Class Clown by Tommy Misa.

"Fuck sake!" you mutter, alone, as you lose one of the few car spots near the much-anticipated and recently refurbished White Bay Power Station. You’re running late for your evening at the theatre. It’s late autumn, and your favourite asshole on the radio is telling you it’s the hottest autumn day on record. You enter the mortar maze and find a performance artist sitting smugly on a stage. They look at you. You look at them. They smile unrestrained, then fart. Great. The show has already begun.

"Working Class Clown" is a new site-specific one-person-play by Queer Fa’afafine performance artist and playwright Tommy Misa, on the transcultural figure of the ‘town fool’ and their unique ability to speak truth to power. Tommy is supported by regular collaborators and Sydney art and fashion powerhouses Emma Maye Gibson (Betty Grumble), Jonny Seymour (Stereogamous), and Katie-Louise and Lillian Nicol-Ford of demi-couture fashion label, Nicol&Ford.

Working Class Clown takes inspiration from the Samoan political satire tradition of Fale Aitu, where clowns are possessed by spirits known as Aitu, thereby conferring the spiritual authority to take the piss out of the powers that be.

Drawing on the working class history and architecture of the White Bay Power Station, the messy political drag of Sydney’s yesteryear, and the tongue-in-cheek wisdom of Tommy’s late father Mefiposeta, the show honours those who entertain and riot in the everyday workplace, home place, skool place, the backseat bandits of the rowdy bus network.

With this responsibility we must remember our obligation to be a voice of the people, to serve the most vulnerable amongst us. And when we tremble with fear, the cackles of laughter and applause will balm our wounds and amour us to take another step forward and pull our silliest face; and from those twisted smiles can come a tremendous battle cry.

Join Tommy in the communion of play; undo the top button of your designer denim, let your gut sigh in relief, your wind pass, and your anger to transform into something unruly, radical and free.

Ticket Info
Adult: $30
Concession: $25
Blak tix: $20
Unwaged: $20