Yu Ying-cho of the elderly clown team
Yu Ying-cho is one of 11 members of a volunteer clown team from an elderly center who perform in community groups around town. He talks to Anthony Chan about the trick to finding true happiness.
HK Magazine: When did you join the team?
Yu Ying-cho: I joined the team in 2004 when it was first formed. We were discussing whether it would be possible to form an elderly clown team to promote our “seven steps towards happiness” concept after finding a true magician to teach us the tricks. After confirming the details, the elderly center set aside some funds to help us start the program. Now, we perform once to twice a month on average at kindergartens, community centers and sometimes even at shopping malls.
HK: What do you usually perform as a team?
YYC: We perform magic, do funny gestures and balloon-twisting, with each show lasting from about 30 to 40 minutes in total. We used to play games with the audience but it turned out sometimes to be too physically challenging for some of our older audiences, so we stopped. I’m particularly good at twisting balloons. Things like swords and flowers are pretty simple—I can make one in only a few seconds, but something like deer or horses are far more complex. I also know how to conjure silk scarves and flowers from an empty bag.
HK: How do kids react to your tricks?
YYC: Kindergarteners become ecstatic once they see us. Some even pinch our red fake noses off or rub our faces and ruin the makeup. But we don’t mind, since the most important thing is to make them happy. Our appearance may initially scare a few kids, especially when their parents are not with them, but usually they come around and start playing with us too after seeing their classmates’ favorable reactions to us. We twist balloons, perform magic, sing songs and take pictures with them. There are usually around 30 to 40 kids per show. Sometimes some kids may yell out they also know how to do the trick and that there’s nothing special about it. Then I’ll ask them to demonstrate it and they’ll stop talking, as they just don’t know how to do it. Also, they call us “uncle” or “brother” as children don’t seem to know how to identify elderly people. I’m the youngest in the team and I’m already 77.
HK: Do you feel nervous before a show? If so, how do
you get over it?
YYC: At first I did but not anymore. I don’t think “Will people laugh at my make-up?”—instead I think, “We’re here to bring joy to people. ” Words just can’t express how I feel when I see audiences clapping and cheering for our show.
HK: What was your reaction when you first saw your clown make-up?
YYC: I was excited—never in my life have I looked like this. We attended a make-up class and then we did it ourselves. It takes around 30 to 40 minutes to finish one person’s make-up—it’s not something you can hurry. If you draw a wrong line, you’ll have to wash that part off and redo it.
HK: Do you perform as any particular character?
YYC: Yes, I’ve also played the Chinese Wealth God, Santa
Claus and a barbarian. I think I like the Chinese Wealth God the most as it’s joyful to give away red packets—we put chocolates inside them!