Complicity

Complicity is the invisible handshake in comedy - the shared wink that says, “We know what’s going on here”. It can happen between you and the audience, or between you and your fellow performers. In clown, complicity is an active force that transforms a moment from mildly amusing to utterly electric.

Complicity with the Audience

Complicity with the audience means you’re not just performing at them, but with them. You both know the game, and you’re enjoying it together.

How it works:

Shared Experience: Acknowledge their presence, react to their responses, and sometimes draw them into the act.
Non-Verbal Signals: Glances, facial expressions, tiny gestures that say “You saw that too?”.
Emotional Connection: Vulnerability, joy, and recognition of shared human silliness.
Breaking the Fourth Wall: Direct eye contact, a knowing shrug, a pause that lets them in.
Playfulness: Letting them feel like co-conspirators in bending the rules of reality.
Trust & Safety: Audiences will only lean in if they feel safe in your hands.
Responsiveness: Adjust in real time based on what they’re enjoying.

Complicity with Scene Partners

Complicity between performers is the glue that makes group or duo clowning feel alive. It’s about clocking the same game and choosing to play it together.

Key elements:

Non-Verbal Understanding: Reading each other’s timing, gestures, and energy without words.
Synchronised Physical Comedy: Matching pace and precision for shared gags or stunts.
Playing Off Each Other: Let one action spark the next reaction.
Shared Comic Vision: Committing to the same style and tone so the whole is stronger than the parts.
Trust & Safety: Respecting skills, instincts, and boundaries, especially when physicality is involved.
Adaptability: Following sudden shifts or improvisations without breaking the flow.
Push and Pull: Knowing when to heighten and when to step back — often working like Major / Minor.
Creating a Shared World: Building a reality together that the audience can enter.

Why It Matters

Complicity turns comedy into play. With the audience, it creates a joyful conspiracy. With your partners, it makes the work seamless and surprising. Without it, even strong material can feel flat. With it, the smallest flicker of connection can bring the house down.