“All work and no play make Jack a dull boy”

Weren’t we all well acquainted with this proverb in our childhood? In fact, as we desperately waited for the school bell to ring and get some respite from our textbooks, these words felt like music to our ears!

As the younger generations cope with the hustle and bustle of ‘adulting’, ‘play’ has simply taken a backseat. The daily grind of our life and responsibilities never fails to fill us with guilt and label us as “lazy” or “unproductive” if we dare to think of anything beyond “all work”.

Amidst all the chaos and the cacophony of our busy lives, Flubber the Clown comes to town as a refreshing breath of fresh air to remind us that playing is crucial for us to become good at what we do. This was arguably the best and biggest takeaway I was left with after witnessing the delightful performances of clowns from across the world in the International Clown Festival, held at the Science City Auditorium, Kolkata, from 18–20 October.

Originating in 2010, the International Clown Festival (ICF) is produced by Martin “Flubber” D’Souza, an entrepreneur, educator and entertainer with a zest for life, a fondness for laughter, and a vision to provide clean, wholesome entertainment to families across the globe. Martin’s repertoire isn’t just limited to India. Rather, our beloved “happity happy” Flubber the Clown has spread endless joy and giggles internationally, across countries like Ireland, the USA, Malaysia, China, Canada, Dubai and Thailand. In addition to entertainment and clowning, Flubber and his friends also specialise in miming, juggling, unicycling and compering.

It was thus no surprise that my visit to the ICF was colourful, joyous and belly-achingly funny, to say the least. Flubber the Clown was a complete hoot, as he kept the children hooked with his infectious laughter, witty puns, and delightful jokes. Flubber’s friends, who are also skilled clowns and artists from countries like Russia, Chile, Mexico, Spain, Brazil and Argentina, thoroughly brightened our evening with eye-popping stunts, magical tricks and jaw-dropping moves. From juggling multiple glow-in-the-dark clubs to gracing the stage skilfully with a unicycle, followed by interactive dances on food, fun and life with the audience, Flubber and his friends kept our eyes hooked to the stage and our hearts filled with laughter.

And that’s not all—Flubber and his crew took every opportunity to engage with the audience. From calling them on stage to join the clowns in their antics to letting them throw makeshift “pizza” at the clown bakery, the children were in splits! The show ended with a grand celebration of a throw and catch game consisting of giant balloons between the children and the clowns. After the celebrations, the audience also got an opportunity to clown around and click pictures with their newfound, colourful friends. In the end, the families and young minds of Kolkata didn’t just get balloons, but also a big smile on their faces! Amidst all the cheer and joy in this mesmerising evening, Flubber’s message to the children was loud and clear: if we want to master something, then we need to keep playing. After all, aren’t clowns the masters of playing? That’s what makes them so wholesome, confident and absolutely brilliant on the stage!

The city of Kolkata had just begun to slip into a slow autumnal slumber of early morning fogs and empty streets—a melancholic reminder that the glittery nights of Durga Puja festivities had come to an end. Amidst this bittersweet silence, the International Clown Festival by Flubber reminds us that despite our dark days and dull mornings, happiness is just around the corner! We just need to keep playing!

The writer is a freelancer who works in IT