Angela Dirven – bio
Since 2003, I have been working as a freelance performing artist. At that time, I began as an acrobat; a great passion that has driven me forward for years. I played in several duo acts, like The Sardinis and Duo Marange. Currently, I continue to work as an acrobat in two shows:
– Mannekino, one of Oddlings most requested productions, is a comical tale about a window dresser and his manikin doll.
– Cirque Colorique, a colorful and amusing group of artists, with whom I mix circus and theatre with great pleasure and fun.
Although the acrobat Angela is still alive and well, over the years I found myself longing for a new creative challenge: creating my own personal shows with more theatrical performance, and less circus tricks; a bit more foolishness and exploring and developing other sides of myself.
And so Tails and Tumble Tails were born: Two similar but different walkabout performances, where amusing and adorable meerkats form the main characters. I really enjoy the direct contact with the public, as well as the opportunity to improvise that these characters give me. Their heartwarming and playful personalities allow me to throw myself into them.
My passion for theatre brought me to clown school, where I studied for two years and found a new passion. I am so grateful for that experience, and to have found Loena, my clown. She is still developing and growing, and as with other people, it is a never-ending process.
Meanwhile, I have created a few short performances with Loena as the main character: The Lamp, The Ballerina, and Kiss Me. A longer version of The Lamp, with Johannes Fisher, is currently in the making.
One can describe Loena as a likeable, headstrong, theatre clown with a rich inner self and personality. My own adult self can find a place in her. When Loena changes, I change too – and vice versa.
Adults will see different things in her as children, but her shameless silly innocence is easily recognizable for everyone, and I hope a source of inspiration.
We all learned to color inside the lines; Loena invites you to color outside the lines. I am enthusiastically curious where my development as a performer takes me. I just follow my (clown’s) nose … wherever it goes …
– Mannekino, one of Oddlings most requested productions, is a comical tale about a window dresser and his manikin doll.
– Cirque Colorique, a colorful and amusing group of artists, with whom I mix circus and theatre with great pleasure and fun.
Although the acrobat Angela is still alive and well, over the years I found myself longing for a new creative challenge: creating my own personal shows with more theatrical performance, and less circus tricks; a bit more foolishness and exploring and developing other sides of myself.
And so Tails and Tumble Tails were born: Two similar but different walkabout performances, where amusing and adorable meerkats form the main characters. I really enjoy the direct contact with the public, as well as the opportunity to improvise that these characters give me. Their heartwarming and playful personalities allow me to throw myself into them.
My passion for theatre brought me to clown school, where I studied for two years and found a new passion. I am so grateful for that experience, and to have found Loena, my clown. She is still developing and growing, and as with other people, it is a never-ending process.
Meanwhile, I have created a few short performances with Loena as the main character: The Lamp, The Ballerina, and Kiss Me. A longer version of The Lamp, with Johannes Fisher, is currently in the making.
One can describe Loena as a likeable, headstrong, theatre clown with a rich inner self and personality. My own adult self can find a place in her. When Loena changes, I change too – and vice versa.
Adults will see different things in her as children, but her shameless silly innocence is easily recognizable for everyone, and I hope a source of inspiration.
We all learned to color inside the lines; Loena invites you to color outside the lines. I am enthusiastically curious where my development as a performer takes me. I just follow my (clown’s) nose … wherever it goes …