THE KOCK’ EM DOWNS

Take a trip back in time to the side shows of old…
For More Details Visit – https://www.clintbolster.com/bolsterandlee

Outdoor Version 

The Knock’ Em Downs is a comically interactive and visually engaging trip back in time to the side shows of old. Step inside the colorful carnival tent and experience a crazy world of fun and games, where nostalgia has taken a curious twist and the carnies have turned into clowns!  Meet Bernie & Roach, two fools who are out to fool you. With Bernie & Roach, you can expect more than just a tasty bite… Featuring a variety of sideshow games sure to test your skill, with big prizes to be won, this oddball encounter will have you wishing you’d brought along your granny.

Indoor In-Studio or Main Stage Immersive Version 

Welcome to The Knock’ Em Downs: Clowns’ Night Off—a thrilling 3-hour immersive experience, transforming a Black Box Studio or Main Stage into a bustling clown bar! Join a family of off-duty sideshow clowns, including Bernie & Roach, for an unforgettable night of playful rivalry and absurd fun. Guests are fully immersed in the action with side-splitting games, offbeat bar challenges, and unexpected clown antics, all in a vibrant cabaret-style setting. Ideal for theatre venues and special events, this version offers a bold and interactive alternative for audiences seeking something different. Whether in an intimate studio or on a grand stage, Clowns’ Night Off guarantees laughter, chaos, and surprises around every corner.

BOLSTER & LEE

If John Cleese had kids with Lucille Ball, the results might be Bolster and Lee.

With their strong rapport, Annie and Clint became creative collaborators in 2004 and have continued to develop characters to play together ever since. From crazy male duos and siblings of all sorts to mother and son teams and various clowns, these two talents have paired their uniquely funny souls with considerable skills to significant effect.  Bolster, and Lee employ their individual differences in height, sex and age to particular advantage. Together they create warm and relatable characters in their endearing nature yet curiously unsettling in their imposing eccentricities. This distinctive duo possesses an outlandishly powerful sense of the ridiculous that will make you laugh and wonder…what might happen next?

CREATIVE TEAM

Co-Creator, Co-Writer & Clown Performer: Clint Bolster
Co-Creator, Co-Writer & Clown Performer: Annie Lee
Executive Producers: Debbie Wilks & Kate Malone – Cluster Arts
Associate Producer: Rob Tannion
Corporate & Event Enquiries: Allie Wilde
Grant Support: Ann Mclean
Production Designer: Josh McIntosh
Lighting Designer: Jason Glenwright
Sound Designer & Technical Manager: Guy Webster
Stage Manager: Liam Caneris
Videographer: Tnee Dyer
Photographers: Justin Ma & Barbara Lowing
Costume Designer: Josh McIntosh
Costume Maker: Jim Ioannides
Touring Logistics: Road Pro Event Services
Venue Construction: Extreme Marquees
Clown Nose Maker: Tony Kishawi
Electrician: Sparky Marc
BOLSTER & LEE have  been assisted by the Queensland Government through the Arts Queensland Showcase Program​​

Australian Curriculum Connections: P – Year 12
A comically interactive, non-verbal performance experience blending clowning, physical comedy, character play, and audience participation.

The Arts – Drama

Foundation – Year 2

• ACADRM027: Explore role and dramatic action in dramatic play, improvisation, and process drama.
• ACADRM028: Use voice, facial expression, movement, and space to imagine and establish role and situation.
• ACADRR030: Respond to drama by describing what they enjoy and why.

Years 3–6

• ACADRM033: Develop skills and techniques of voice and movement to create character, mood, and atmosphere.
• ACADRM034: Rehearse and perform drama to communicate ideas and stories to an audience.
• ACADRR035 / ACADRR036: Reflect on how dramatic action and characters are developed.

Years 7–10

• ACADRM040 / ACADRM043: Develop roles and characters consistent with performance styles like clowning and physical theatre.
• ACADRR046 / ACADRR051: Analyse and evaluate how meaning is communicated to audiences through performance choices.

Senior Drama (Years 11–12)

• Explore non-verbal theatre, clowning traditions, and satire as tools for storytelling and audience engagement.
• Apply improvisational structures and parody in devised theatre work.

English

Foundation – Year 6

• Explore how body language, gesture, and facial expression convey character and emotion.
• Discuss how performers use exaggeration and timing to create humour and storytelling.

Years 7–10

• Analyse how visual texts (like physical comedy performances) influence audience response.
• Evaluate the use of irony, satire, and subtext in performance.

Health and Physical Education (HPE)

Foundation – Year 6

• ACPMP008 / ACPMP046: Participate in games that require turn-taking, decision-making, and safe interactions.
• ACPPS020 / ACPPS033: Identify personal strengths and describe how they contribute to family, school, and community.

Years 7–10

• ACPPS074 / ACPPS093: Investigate emotional responses in different situations and strategies to manage them.
• ACPPS076 / ACPPS094: Examine how play and performance strengthen relationships and social health.

General Capabilities

Critical and Creative Thinking

• Think divergently to interpret unusual comedic characters and routines.
• Understand the mechanics of physical humour and its effects on audience engagement.

Personal and Social Capability

• Participate in a shared, live experience that fosters empathy, emotional awareness, and collaboration.
• Reflect on risk-taking in performance and play, and develop resilience through failure and laughter.

Ethical Understanding

• Consider how satire and parody highlight social behaviours or norms.
• Discuss how humour can be inclusive or exclusive depending on context and intention.

Intercultural Understanding

• Recognise traditions of clowning and carnival from different cultures (e.g. Commedia dell’Arte, British pantomime, European street theatre).
• Respect diverse audience reactions and interpretations of non-verbal performance.

 Style, Form & Pedagogical Value

• Performance Styles: Traditional Clowning, Physical Theatre, Slapstick, Silent Comedy, Sideshow
• Pedagogical Benefits:
  • Strengthens visual literacy and observation
  • Develops humour as a social and emotional learning tool
  • Encourages reflection on audience-performer relationships
  • Offers inclusive, language-free engagement across learning abilities

 Perfect for…

• Arts and Drama Units exploring characterisation, movement, satire, or comedy
• English lessons examining narrative without words
• HPE discussions around confidence, play, and connection
• Whole-school community engagement across diverse age ranges