James Dowdeswell is Thrice blessed as a comedian, a funny face, a clever mind and the genes of a clown. When James made the decision to become a comedian he discovered to his joy that his Great Great Grandfather was not only a stage clown who had performed in the West End, but had worked along side Charlie Chaplin probably the most famous clown of his day. The bulk of ‘My Granddad was a clown and those are big shoes to fill’ is about James Dowdeswell great grandfather’s life as a theatre clown 100 years ago.
Before getting into that fascinating story, James begins by demonstrating his own comedy skills with a brief intro about the show and some funny Melbourne observations that showed a genuine knowledge that was a bit better than the usual, lazy, insert ‘cliché’d rough town here’ Frankston reference. It’s always annoyed me because it’s got a beach how horrid can it be? We’re given an amusing picture of his childhood growing up in the west country of England above his parents pub, his love for Kenny Everett, learning to appease the vicious yet hilariously drawn school bully with his wit and finally his life as a working comedian which he gradually discovers is not that different from his celebrated ancestor.
I was riveted by the tale of early 20th century theatre folk and didn’t really mind that his great grandfather’s biography wasn’t a laugh a minute. For those hanging out for the laughs there wasn’t long to wait. The story was broken by two characters pieces. The first was Les the Lifeguard, a comic, rustic character James used to do when he started out in comedy, the second was a portrayal of how the opening monologue to this show might have been done had he himself been a comedian in 1909. Historical re-enactment comedy! Wow, two of my favourite things brought together at last. I felt the show should have ended there, instead it became a bit sidetracked and had less impact than it might have, though it was nice to know that he was inspired to go to Clown School.
James is one of the brains behind the Storytellers Club, which is happening unofficially at the festival this year on Tuesday nights. So it’s not surprising that James is a skillful storyteller but it was lovely to discover that he is also a delightfully goofy comedian. This is the first time I’ve seen him do a festival show and I must say it was a sheer joy. It’s also another show you could safely bring your mum, or your great grandpa to.
Visit the Comedy Festival website for bookings and further details.