Finding herself back at home in St Davids during the Covid 19 lockdown, multi-disciplinary performer and writer, Angharad Price was keen to do something to help others, whilst keeping her own anxiety and mental health challenges in check.
So she teamed up with Suzie MacGregor, both are actors and comedians, and together they created Front Lawn Fools, a socially distanced form of entertainment providing families in their village with much needed respite from life in lockdown, as well as raising more than a few smiles.
Front Lawn Fools was born from a desire to help families struggling with the daily tasks of being at home together in a bubble, where dynamics have changed, of parents becoming teachers and children stuck at home. Angharad said they were particularly mindful of those with mental health problems or who are on the Autistic spectrum, who would be particularly affected by the limitations that lockdown life brought with it,
“I wanted to bring the entertainment back to basics. Away from screens, from film and television. Clowning does just that. It’s fun and silly. The adults loved it as much as the children.”
The interesting thing about the production, is that while it was mindful of the rules of social distancing and restrictions, it was also created under the same guidelines.
Angharad and Suzi rehearsed and created their sketch outdoors, two metres apart, within the hour allocated for daily exercise. They incorporated hand gel into their work, particularly when working with shared props.
“We thought, if we’re going to do this, let’s do it properly, and safely. We went through a lot of hand gel.” She laughs.
Angharad and Suzi took their original idea and asked the community for their feedback. The reaction was overwhelmingly positive and they soon found themselves visiting gardens and outdoor spaces, across St Davids.
Angharad said the choice of a clowning performance was perfect, as well as being fun and silly, adding a light hearted slant on the darkest of days, it also allowed them to be playful when looking how they could work with the restrictions.
Front Lawn fools visited over 30 outdoor spaces over 2 months of lockdown.
Angharad is currently working with the Leonard Cheshire charity, to provide some online clowning workshops for adults with learning disabilities. Visit her website to find out more.
