Jon in Waltham Forest is 51-60 and is a clown.
Jon Davison is both a clown and the owner of The London Clown School. As an academic, he is writing his third book on clowning, alongside teaching students. We discover what Jon loves about being a clown and the motivations behind his work.
Film Maker: Jackie Read, Lenia Pasia
Questions & Answers
- What's your first memory of London? Playing in the back yard of our flat above the shop where my dad worked
- What do you miss when you're away from London? Being at home and forgetting where I am
- What's your favourite neighbourhood? Homerton/Clapton, where we used to live until it got too expensive
- What's your favourite building? The little shelter made out of a boat in the gardens at Hackney City Farm
- What's your ideal day out in London? A walk down to Hackney City Farm, on through Columbia Road flower market and Brick Lane
- What's your ideal night out in London? A comedy show at Soho Theatre followed by a couple of pints somewhere near
- What's your most hated building? The Shard
- What's the best view in London? From Primrose Hill
- What's your favourite open space? Richmond Park
- What's your favourite bar, pub or restaurant? The Northcote Arms in Leyton, our local
- What's the most interesting shop? Foyles books
- What's your favourite place to hang out? Brick Lane
- What's been your most memorable night out in London? Seeing the Russian clown company Licedei at Hackney Empire
- How would you like to spend your ideal day off in London? At home, in the garden
- Where would you take someone visiting from out of town? The South Bank
- What's the worst journey you've had to make in London? Driving back through the Blackwall Tunnel in a traffic jam for several hours
- What's your personal London landmark? Hackney Marshes
- Who's your favourite fictional Londoner? -
- What's your favourite London film, book or documentary? Mike Leigh’s ‘High Hopes’, a film set in Kings Cross when it was still a working class district
- If you could travel to any time period in London, past or future, where would you go? The 1570s, to see the first stage clown, Richard Tarlton
- For you, who is the ultimate Londoner? Charlie Chaplin