The subjects of our interview were the members of the clown trio 'No Socks' – Artem Babinov, Konstantin Kopeikin and Maxim Karpov. We talked about how an acting education helps in work on the circus ring, about their experience working with well-known artists, and their creative plans for the future.
Konstantin Kopeikin, Artem Babinov, Maxim Karpov. Photo: the trio's official group on VKontakte (https://vk.com/bz_nskv)
How did your trio come together?
Maxim Karpov: We studied together in the same class at the theatre institute in Yekaterinburg. Even as students we already performed together in the same plays. We took part in various festivals and TV projects with a comic extreme show (broken glass, knives, darts). After graduating we went to conquer Moscow. Our paths diverged briefly, but soon fate brought us together again in the circus ring. The Center for Circus Arts was holding auditions for a clowning studio. I was the first to pass the audition, and a few months later I invited the guys to rehearse together. Less than a year later, the clown trio 'No Socks' graduated with seven routines and went on tour across our vast homeland.
Program 'The Little Humpbacked Horse'. Photo: the trio's official group on VKontakte (https://vk.com/bz_nskv)
Program 'The Little Humpbacked Horse'. Photo: the trio's official group on VKontakte (https://vk.com/bz_nskv)
Do you feel that the clown trio format has worked?
Maxim Karpov: Absolutely; after 11 years of creating together we've meshed. In the ring we complement and strengthen each other and understand one another with half a word. Our characters are clear and relatable to the audience, as their reactions in the ring confirm.
Photo: the trio's official group on VKontakte (https://vk.com/bz_nskv)
Which figures of theatrical clowning are role models for each of you?
Artem Babinov: You can't really expand the list of theatrical clowning figures much (laughs). The most striking and practically the only ones are Slava Polunin and Litsedei. Litsedei remain at the top to this day and continue to delight audiences with both classical and new performances. The guys and I are also taking small steps onto the clown-theatre stage. We hope to be counted among our gurus. Of course there are foreign clowns as well – James Thierrée, Courtemanche. These are clowns who possess incredible physicality. Another clear example to emulate is the Spanish trio Tricicle. They are all fans of their craft and, of course, we bow deeply to them all!
Konstantin Kopeikin, Artem Babinov, Maxim Karpov. Photo: the trio's official group on VKontakte (https://vk.com/bz_nskv)
Which well-known artists have you worked with?
Artem Babinov: We performed on the same ring with Oleg Popov, Maski Show; personally I sang backup for Iosif Kobzon. We also performed at events alongside stars of the Russian show business – Alexander Marshal, Grigory Leps, Nikolai Rastorguev and many others, including contemporary performers.
Tell us about the nuances of working in the circus arena.
Konstantin Kopeikin: We've worked in many circuses around the world and each was unique. In Europe, mostly traveling circuses, so the ring often consists of sawdust covered with a carpet – it's much harder to spin drums in a musical routine, but it's softer to fall (laughs). In some cities the rows in the auditorium are very narrow and it's hard to make your way through them. Sometimes you work in a super-modern circus with expensive lighting and sound, or conversely you have to adapt to four lightbulbs and a speaker by the aisle that hisses. It's also often necessary to fill the pause while they're clearing the acts and buy time until the ring is freed. The main task of clowns is to keep the tempo of the show and not let it sag. That's why sometimes we perform our routines not in the ring at all, but on the barrier or even in the audience.
Photo: the trio's official group on VKontakte (https://vk.com/bz_nskv)
Share your creative plans for the future.
In the long term we want to conquer the media space and become recognizable. In the circus world we are already known. We want to create new shows, compose music, host TV programs and fill everything around with ourselves (laughs). In the near future we can be seen in the new project 'Pushkin's Dreams' at Luzhniki. We changed our looks and created new routines, but kept our charisma and style. We're also trying a new comedy format: 'kids' stand-up'.
