Shoppers got a shock when a clown took to the cobbled city streets with a mini big top tent in tow.
And the time has now come for Lucy Enskat, artistic director at Hocus Pocus Theatre in Norwich, to share her show at the Norwich Arts Centre.
Having travelled around Norwich performing for well receiving audiences, A Clown About Town will open at the Norwich Arts Centre this week.
The show sees a clown attempt to put on a big show, but her dreams are foiled when nothing goes to plan.
Attempting to prove her innocence, she finds ultimate freedom in learning to be herself, in a world trying to make her like everyone else.
Lucy explained: “I’m a clown doctor, so it all stems from that. I go into hospitals dressed as a clown and try and give patients a giggle."
She said there had been a lot of news on “killer clowns” and she really wanted to reclaim the innocence of the clown in her piece.
She said: “I thought it would be a really funny premise for a show if this innocent clown is on the run for a crime she didn’t commit.
“She plays out her worst fears of what will happen to her and works through her anxieties of thinking everyone hates her. The story came from my own lived experiences.”
Lucy was given arts council funding which enabled her to work with director Peta Lily.
The show contains clowning as well as puppetry, a touch of magic, a little song and a smidge of silly dancing to get people connected through laughter.
But the piece is seeking to get to the heart of mental health issues.
She said the story is all about the anxiety of how the clown sees the world and how she believes people perceive her.
Lucy said: “I hope the show helps to make people realise they are not alone.
“Mental health is a continuum; we have good times and we have acute times when stress and other contributing factors really affect us.”
Catch the show this Saturday at the new outdoor area at Norwich Arts Centre.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here