At 80, world's oldest clown has no plans of quitting
By Marie-Laure Michel, Agence France-Presse January 16, 2011
At 80, the world's oldest clown has given up tightrope walking but Oleg Popov, the most famous Soviet-era jester, still tours half of the year and has no plans to hang up his trademark red nose.
"The Sun Clown," as he is also known, never fails to enthrall young and old with his oddball character based on a figure from Russian folklore -- one who appears stupid but really isn't.
"I love to make people laugh, also in private," the Russian told AFP on a recent tour in The Hague. "I am very happy, if I could live my life over, I would become a clown all over again."
As the drums rolled under the travelling big top of the Great Russian State Circus, the ringmaster heralds "the one, the only, the unique Oleg Popov!"
To loud applause, a small man with a shock of straw-coloured hair under a black-and-white checkered cap shuffles into the ring -- just as he has done for six decades.
Alone in the spotlight, Popov -- who in 1981 won the Golden Clown award, the "Oscar" of the circus world -- chants softly in Russian, clutching an old umbrella handle sprouting a bunch of multi-coloured balloons.
At 80, the world's oldest clown has given up tightrope walking but Oleg Popov, the most famous Soviet-era jester, still tours half of the year and has no plans to hang up his trademark red nose.
"The Sun Clown," as he is also known, never fails to enthrall young and old with his oddball character based on a figure from Russian folklore -- one who appears stupid but really isn't.
"I love to make people laugh, also in private," the Russian told AFP on a recent tour in The Hague. "I am very happy, if I could live my life over, I would become a clown all over again."
As the drums rolled under the travelling big top of the Great Russian State Circus, the ringmaster heralds "the one, the only, the unique Oleg Popov!"
To loud applause, a small man with a shock of straw-coloured hair under a black-and-white checkered cap shuffles into the ring -- just as he has done for six decades.
Alone in the spotlight, Popov -- who in 1981 won the Golden Clown award, the "Oscar" of the circus world -- chants softly in Russian, clutching an old umbrella handle sprouting a bunch of multi-coloured balloons.
His black jacket is too short, his red, blue and black-striped pants stop at his calves. His bow tie, like his nose, is red and his face lightly made up.Between performances of hoop-jumping poodles, flying acrobats and a trained elephant, Popov entertains with a trick that sends soup ladles flying into ice buckets.
Read more: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/world+oldest+clown+plans+quitting/4116252/story.html#ixzz1CNJi6Q00
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