With his painted smiling face, red nose and colourful costume, who can resist a clown? As people gather around him excitedly, this clown performs his most popular tricks – juggling and twisting balloons into lovely shapes – to cheers from adults and children alike. Meet Yeung Siu-chak, an alumnus from the Department of Physical Education (2009), whose smile stays on even once his make-up comes off. “My greatest joy comes from making people happy,” he says. 

Siu-chak’s passion for clowning was ignited in Form 3 when he watched a performance by the world-renowned company, Cirque du Soleil. Deeply attracted to the beautiful presentation and wonderful performance of the troupe, he began to dream of joining them on their world tour. “I wasn’t sure what kind of skills would be required so I taught myself juggling. I also joined various classes – from modern dance to ballet, juggling and gymnastics. I wanted to prepare myself well and hoped I could one day join Cirque.” He laughs and adds: “But, of course, finally I realised my ability is far below their standards and that their members started training at a very young age.” 

Dedication to clowning 
Though achieving his dream of joining Cirque du Soleil seemed unlikely, his passion for clowning was undiminished. “During the summer holidays in Form 5, I emailed some production houses to inquire about training programmes for people who want to be clowns. And I was surprised to get a reply.” After some training, he worked as a part-time clown when he was a student. 

Like most people, Siu-chak initially didn’t view being a clown as a serious profession. “However, during my time at HKBU, I took quite a few elective courses on performing art, philosophy and drama. I was inspired by them and realised that if I regarded the clown as an artist, I could develop myself in this way.” Having worked as a substitute teacher in a secondary school for half a year after graduation, he made up his mind to become a professional clown. 

He emphasises that if a clown only sees his job as a profit-making enterprise, he will stop seeking further development. “In fact, most of my clients don’t know a great clown from a good one. For them, all clowns are equal.” However, Siu-chak holds himself up to higher standards and so keeps updating his skill set. “I was deeply inspired by a Spanish clown I once met and began to learn from him. He inspired me to see clowning as a special vocation.” In addition to honing his performance skills, his teacher, who generally visits Hong Kong once a year for a month of classes, expanded his knowledge of clowning by including logical thinking as well as philosophy in his training. Siu-chak even pays for his teacher’s airfare so that he can benefit from his expertise. 

Happiness and bitterness 
Siu-chak says his greatest satisfaction comes from making people happy. “Once when I finished my performance, a kid asked me: ‘Can I take you home?’ It was the sweetest feeling.” Sometimes, children clutch onto him and are reluctant to let him go, and often he cheers up the wailing ones. He shares the magic of clowning with his friends by posting photos on Facebook. “Many of them leave me messages telling me they think what I’m doing is really amazing. They said my photos cheer them up too.” 

Asked if he ever thinks about giving up, he answers without hesitation: “Yes, very often.” He shares that most of the time he goes to events on his own and once his make-up and costumes are on, people are excited to see him. But once the show is over, he has to go back to being an ordinary person again. “Coming back to reality after the high of clowning is very difficult for me. I pack my things myself and leave alone. Till today, I can’t handle these hard feelings well.” During festivals like Christmas and New Year these emotions are intensified. “Someone once said: ‘A clown always goes home alone.’ I now realise what this means.” 

A clown’s dream 
Despite this, it’s likely that Siu-chak will continue clowning going by the joy and excitement on his face when he talks about his aspirations. “Clowns in the American style are mainly entertainers who are adept at juggling, stilts, tossing, and farce while clowns in the European style put more emphasis on stage performance in a theatre setting. They may not use any make-up except for the red nose and make the audience laugh through slight body movements.” 

He says he is now leaning towards the European style. However, as this form of performance has yet to catch on in Hong Kong and he has not gained enough experience, he plans to perform in small theatres first. “I know that I’m not up to standard now. But if I keep on performing, I might become a master in 10 years!” 

“I wish I could travel to Australia and Europe before I am 30 years old and perform as a clown on the streets.” He longs for the atmosphere of Western countries where street performers are regarded as part of community culture. “Hong Kong is too small and crowded for me to perform on the street. I would be admonished for blocking the pavement.”