In a world where theatre is as serious as a child’s game, professional clown Jayne Walling steps onto a stage where laughter knows no bounds and joy takes centre stage.
Walling, an Edward Milne Community School graduate, has embarked on an artistic journey from Sooke to the dazzling lights of Paris and back again. She is now preparing to unveil a solo live musical theatre show that promises to enchant both young and old.
“Laughter brings significant meaning to my life. It’s an incredible way to connect with people,” said Walling, who trained at the world-famous École Internationale de Théâtre Philippe Gaulier in Paris.
Walling developed her love for theatre arts at EMCS in the late 1990s. After graduation, she later enrolled at the Canadian College of Performing Arts in Victoria.
She moved to Toronto and attended the George Brown Theatre School. She discovered a unique talent in the clown mask movement in this conservatory program.
Mentors told Walling that to pursue her clown art, she needed to train under Phillippe Gaulier, a globally recognized top clown teacher.
“Clown is not what most people think it is. It doesn’t always involve a red nose. It is a very, very specific type of theatre art. It’s a challenging form of acting,” Walling said.
“The idea was to move to Paris indefinitely because I really wanted to find my artistic voice. I didn’t feel I could do that in Canada. I believed Europe was the better place for me to discover who I am as an artist.”
The COVID-19 pandemic altered Walling’s personal and career trajectory, leading her back to Sooke to be closer to her family.
However, theatre and clowning weren’t left behind.
This summer, Walling teams up with writer Hanna Pyliotis, composer Lucas Gille, and director Britt Small, performing a one-woman show called “The Big Wail” for the Victoria Fringe Festival at the end of August.
The family-friendly show is a splashy musical tale about a bottom-feeding fish who rises to the top and the transformation of our oceans. It features many local underwater sea creatures such as Shannon, the sassy salmon; Patsy, the pointing sea porpoise; and Gale the Singer whale.
“We really didn’t want it to be didactic. We wanted it to be fun. We wanted to draw on our clown training, with music, silliness, color, and magic,” Walling said.
The Big Wail runs from Aug. 26 to Sept.3 at the Victoria Fringe Festival. For tickets, visit intrepidtheatre.com.
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