London Clown Festival is back for 2025 with its largest edition to date, promising a collision of physical comedy, theatrical innovation and unpredictable absurdity across two of the city’s key performance venues. Running from 16 June to 4 July, the festival returns to Soho Theatre and Jacksons Lane with a packed programme of contemporary clowning and physical theatre from both UK-based and international artists.
A rare chance to experience the unpredictable art of physical comedy in all its forms
This year’s programme builds on the festival’s reputation as a home for eclectic, genre-defying performances. Since its founding in 2016, the event has aimed to push the public perception of clowning far beyond red noses and slapstick. The 2025 edition continues this mission with a broad lineup of acts that experiment with form and embrace risk. The addition of physical theatre to the official programming signals a widening scope, reflecting the close ties between clown technique and broader movement-based performance.
Among the standout shows is The Weight of Shadow by Sasha Krohn, a wordless piece that fuses mime, dance and aerial work to portray a psychiatric patient’s internal tumult over the course of a single day. Our pals at Fringe Review described it as “a tormenting and beautiful portrayal of the human condition.” Also featured is Red Bastard, a master of the Bouffon tradition, whose confrontational performance style and audience interaction return to London for the first time in eight years.
Comedy meets cabaret in Otto & Astrid: The Stage Tour, a chaotic blend of Europop and punk energy from Berlin’s dysfunctional sibling band. Lachlan Werner, a ventriloquist known for his surreal stage presence, brings Wondertwunk, described in past Guardian coverage as a brilliantly strange blend of puppetry and physical comedy. Meanwhile, Dirty Work by Jessica Barton arrives fresh from Melbourne, combining song, dance and domestic grime in what the Australian Arts Review calls a “quadruple threat” debut.
The festival also continues to celebrate ensemble and cabaret formats. The Opening Cabaret kicks off the run at Soho Theatre on 16 June, offering a curated showcase of acts. A Night of Drama invites audiences to pelt a clown cast with banana peels during a live-directed period piece. The festival ends with Naughty Cabaret, a high-energy closing night featuring a queer feminist mix of clown, circus, music, burlesque and character comedy.
Performances span from early evening slots to late-night specials, with individual shows running around 60 minutes. Ticket prices range from £13 to £27, with full details and booking available at the festival’s official website.
London Clown Festival 2025 may be the most ambitious yet, not just in scale but in its invitation to rethink what clowning means today. From polished solo shows to anarchic cabarets, it offers a rare chance to experience the unpredictable art of physical comedy in all its forms. Just watch out for the flying peels.
