Pepa Plana: Clowning is Interpreting Yourself with Heart and Honesty

Pepa Plana, a renowned clown performer, describes the essence of clowning as "interpreting yourself," emphasizing the need to make audiences laugh from the heart with honesty and tenderness.

In an interview, Plana outlined her upcoming commitments, including an intensive clowning course in La Llacuna from Sunday to Tuesday. She will also present her solo show *A cada pas* on 4 March at 8:30pm at Andorra's Teatre Comunal.

The performance draws inspiration from Winnie, the character buried up to her waist in Samuel Beckett's *Happy Days*. Plana imagines a scenario where a wind carries Winnie away, placing her in an unknown landscape surrounded by obstacles. "Being lost is sometimes the best way to find yourself," she said. Without dialogue, the show demands precise, conceptual work. Plana reminds herself during performances: "You're a marionette—if you move too much, the strings will tangle." This fragility and focus on small details highlight the clown's vulnerability.

Plana first encountered the clown nose during an international theatre residency with Ariane Mnouchkine at Théâtre du Soleil while studying. It proved revelatory, though she waited a decade to fully embrace clowning. Recently, the company invited her to teach, closing a meaningful circle. She now enjoys mentoring, including in Andorra, sharing techniques that "work."

Challenges persist, particularly gender barriers. Despite recognition, Plana believes men have an easier path due to the "glass ceiling." She critiques traditional humour as male-authored, often reducing women to objects. When women write the scripts, the focus shifts to the subject, fostering laughter through ingenuity rather than objectification.

For aspiring clowns, Plana stresses desire, hard work, and rehearsal. Essential qualities include making people laugh "with the heart"—naivety, tenderness, and brutal honesty. "How can you stay mad at a terribly honest and optimistic child?" she noted. A clown may unsettle, but audiences forgive through that core authenticity.