Most cities have a fair number of clowns, and Navan in particular has a rich history of professional pranksters.
ommy Tiernan, Hector Ó hEochagáin and Dylan Moran are just some of the humorous alumni of the Meath City.
But did you hear the one about the two Icelanders who moved to the Royal County to become clowns?
Well, it’s no joke.
Childhood friends Grettir “Garfield” Valsson (20) and Emilia Bergsdottir (19) actually flew from their native Iceland to answer a unique call in Ireland.
They read an article last year calling for new circus recruits reporting that there was a ‘clown shortage’ in Ireland. So they decided to leave the house to follow their dream of joining the circus.
The two friends started their adventure in February and settled in Navan for their stay.
The pair recently completed a course with licensed clown Jonathan Kelly, who has 25 years of experience in circus and theater work and is currently involved in a project in Marseille.
The My Clown Persona workshop taught them many things – juggling, walking on their hands, falling over without causing injury, stilt walking… but above all not to take life too seriously and to laugh more.
“We do it mostly for the experience,” says Garfield. “We also learned clowning techniques and tips for birthday parties… how to put together a routine.
“Some days you think, ‘This is a clown school, how the hell did we get here?’ It was a funny day when we first got our outfits.
“But it’s been a great experience. We will remember this and look back on it fondly.
“It’s an adventure. People do this a lot in Iceland, we go abroad for a while when we are young for an education.”
Emilia agrees: “We decided to go a step further. And I love Ireland… it’s like Iceland in a lot of ways, socially, but not exactly, so that’s good too.”
When asked about their favorite clown routine, it’s definitely the cake in the face for Garfield, while Emilia “loves the unicycle a lot too”.
“There is a great life Monty Python sketch where there’s a really serious Harvard-style presentation about the pie in the face and it makes me laugh every time,” Garfield said.
But their adventure has also taught them to be more light-hearted. “We like to challenge ourselves, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously either,” he said.
Garfield spots a Charlie Chaplin photo on the wall and his eyes light up.
Known for his physical comedy, the Hollywood legend is a true source of inspiration for this aspiring joker.
“We learned slapstick, like Chaplin…he was one of the greatest…”
Asked about what prompted them to continue their unusual careers, Garfield admits he was always the “class clown” and his friends and family weren’t too surprised by his decision.
Emilia says her parents thought she was joking. “My family was a little dubious about it. I only told them a week before. I had already bought the (plane) ticket. So I thought, ‘I’m going to clown school in Ireland for seven months’. And they said, ‘No, Emilia, you’re kidding’.
“Some of my friends still don’t believe I’m here.”
Asked if clowns cry, it’s a clear “yes” to both.
“Yeah, clowns cry,” Garfield says. “More than others.”
The “calling of the clown” is about empathy, he says, about getting people together, and kindness. Most comedians and clowns deal with depression.
It dips between being funny and being sad.
“Comedy and sadness are closely linked,” says the young Icelander.
“Comedy challenges the way people think.
“People can be narrow-minded and comedy is a good way to broaden perspectives and make people laugh.
“It makes people and then ask, ‘Why did I laugh? Why was it funny?’
“It can help against prejudice and things like that.
“It’s a powerful weapon.
“I like satire. It holds up a mirror to society.
“Chaplin did it and got a lot of hate for being too political with his comedy.
“But being able to laugh at your own expense is also very good for you.
“It makes you feel better and other people around you feel better.
“And it lightens a burden because we can take things in life way too seriously.
“We worry too much. But you can take the sad things in your life and instead of crying about it, you can laugh about it. Most things that make you cry, you can laugh at. And it always makes the funniest jokes.”
Emilia agrees: “That’s what the clown schools really taught us. Ever since we got here, we were just so happy-go-lucky.”
So what next for the duo after their hiatus in Ireland?
At the end of their course, their mentor, Jonathan, who took them to Duffy’s, Fossetts and Gerbola’s shows to immerse them in the circus circuit, advised that they hone their skills and knowledge of clowning in the IA Clown Workshop of the Lir Academy. Both will be taking the course soon.
As for their long-term goals, Emilia is “not sure yet” if she will make it to the big top, while Garfield winks: “We’ll see, we’ll see.”
If you are interested in becoming a clown, please contact Jonathan Kelly at [email protected]