The Clowns Convention

In a world that seems to be sinking into constant chaos, a group of clowns gathers—on a surprisingly serious mission: they are searching for ways out of the ongoing and escalating crises of our time. Can clowning become a strategy for coping in a world that so often appears to be ruled by fools?



For “The Clowns Convention,” the actors of Theaterhaus Jena, of the Dutch collective Wunderbaum and of the collective Post Paradies become clowns themselves. In a show full of precise tricks, spectacular failure, and entertaining numbers, they explore clowning as an historical practice and ask: can it still reflect the present?



Set to the music of beatboxer Joost Maaskant (a.k.a. MAASK), they draw the audience into a comic, touching, poetic and grotesque universe.But the stage is shifting. With the rise of horror clowns, the disappearance of the circus, and dwindling demand, the clown profession is on the brink. The convention poses the question: Are clowns still needed — or are they the final representatives of a vanishing era? Following their acclaimed production “Die Hundekot-Attacke,” Wunderbaum returns to HAU with a playful yet profound clown performance that asks: when does laughter start to weigh heavy?



approx. 120 mins.