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From Gaulier to OnlyFans: how Jessica Aszkenasy turned chaos into TITCLOWN

Richard Beck Richard Beck
15 Jul 2025

We spoke to Jessica Aszkenasy about her bold, genre-bending debut solo show TITCLOWN at this year's Edinburgh Fringe, training at École Philippe Gaulier, and raising money on OnlyFans

I thought people would only buy content from 22-year-olds who were a size 8 and picture-perfect. I couldn’t have been more wrong

Jessica, let’s start with an overview of what it was like to train at the legendary École Philippe Gaulier and what it involved.

Hmm. I really want to be as measured as possible here. Before going to Gaulier, I had done a few clown workshops with Dr Brown and Elf Lyons – performers I love, who have both trained at Gaulier – so naturally I wanted to go to the “source”. It was an incredibly intense experience. Lots of personal growth, uncomfortable discoveries and space to explore. Movement classes in the morning and improv in the afternoon.

I had never been to a drama school before, so it was really great to be in that environment and be able to just immerse myself in it for 10 months. I was there at a particularly hard time for the school, as it was the final year Philippe was just about able to teach part-time, so it was a period of readjustment. He and Michiko (his wife) have really built something incredible there. I think, though, institutions can sometimes absorb and perpetuate attitudes that no longer serve us. It’s really important that teachers pay attention to how much certain demographics are elevated in a workshop setting, and to the language that is used when giving feedback. At the end of the day, we’re all paying the same fees. My show, TITCLOWN, which was conceived straight after I finished Gaulier, is a reaction to this.

But your experience there took a turn when you ran out of money and decided on a particular way to survive. You embraced OnlyFans with what might be called an alternative perspective – one that was reinforced when the money started to roll in.

Haha, “alternative perspective” – this turn of phrase made me chuckle. I guess it is somewhat alternative – I don’t wear makeup, or sexy lingerie, or try to hide the wobbly bits of my body that I don’t always love. My approach is incredibly DIY, so I was shocked when I made £2,000 within the first month. I’m a size 12, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves here – I’m not breaking the mould in some huge way. But it does go to show that there’s a big difference between what we’re conditioned to think is attractive and what we actually find attractive. I thought people would only buy content from 22-year-olds who were a size 8 and picture-perfect. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Do you think you found a niche that others on OnlyFans didn’t realise existed?

There are a fair few creators (especially Gen Z creators) who are taking this approach – I’m definitely not the first. But I think what draws people in is the intimacy they get with my content. It’s not all X-rated posts. I market my account as my “dirty Instagram”. People want the sexy stuff, but they also want to know what you had for breakfast. We’re all just horny voyeurs, really.

Your experience became the basis of your show, which goes beyond just telling your story. What have you learned from the experience?

I feel like I’m incredibly fortunate to have found this path. It’s given me financial independence and the autonomy to be able to make work that I’m proud of and have lots of fun while doing it. I’ve learned that you really can just make it up as you go along (I will, though, heavily caveat this with the recognition that I say this as a mostly able-bodied white person with no dependants).

Would you recommend OnlyFans to others as a fundraiser?

OnlyFans is a full-time job. It’s hard work – 80% of it is knowing how to market yourself and constantly self-promoting. Most of it is trial and error, and you work alone and risk exposing yourself to a lot of not very nice people. And it comes at a price. I’m only doing this because I’m one thousand percent sure – after having tried every different kind of day job under the sun and having already explored multiple career paths before I started performing – that this is all I want to do. I also came to OF at the age of 30 with a strong sense of self and a lot of self-love and self-respect. If I’d come to this at 19 or 20, it would have been a very different story. So no, I would not recommend viewing it as a fundraiser. A fundraiser suggests a temporary solution with an end date and little risk – and that’s not what this is.

What would you like people to take away from your show?

Joy, mostly. Silliness. Fun. I’d like for women to walk away feeling less shame around their bodies, and for cis men to observe without judging. At the end of the day, I just want everyone to have a good time. The world is quite a harsh place right now, so if any of the chaotic joy I try to conjure up rubs off on other people over the 50 minutes I’m on stage, I’ll be more than satisfied.

Richard Beck

Richard Beck

A graduate in theology and education, Richard acted and contributed to dance, drama and music productions throughout his teaching career. He joined Broadway Baby in 2014 and is now our Editor-in-Chief. He usually disappears to warmer climes for the winter to pursue his passion for travel.

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