OTTO THE CLOWN IS BACK IN TOWN!
(and he’s not having fun)

• Otto the Clown is not happy. It’s not just that his father’s dead. It’s not at all that his father’s dead. In fact, Otto and his father – a much more famous and better loved clown who was also called Otto – didn’t really get along; that’s why Otto Jr ended up running away from the circus, 20 years ago.
He’s back now, though, back at Stubberfield’s for the old man’s funeral, accompanied by his long-suffering wife and manager, Adele, and eager to step into Papa’s oversized shoes. Ah, if only life were that simple...
• The second Monkeydog Production, A Sustained Note of Fury came to fruition after a four-year R&D process involving a great deal of reading, circus-viewing, workshopping and study of such circus disciplines as clowning, juggling and plate-spinning.
The resulting play focuses on a crossroads in the lives – both professional and emotional – of Otto and Adele Ronaldi. As they negotiate the task of clearing out the old man’s caravan, we learn about Otto Sr’s paranoia, about his ill-fated lion-trainer wife, and especially about Otto Jr’s relationship with Adele, for whom the securing of the clownic succession becomes increasingly crucial; while for Otto it will be a lifelong dream come true, for Adele it will mean time to spend on younger, more lucrative clients, and freedom from the emotional weight of a man who has drunk too long from the cup of disappointment.

• On 31st August 2008, at Smallhythe Place, near Tenterden in Kent,
A Sustained Note of Fury made its debut, performed by Robert Cohen and Peta Taylor, with direction by Johnny Worthy. It was subsequently seen at Komedia, Brighton.