Clown Claret Papiol, the revivalist of clowning in Catalonia, dies.
An artist and educator, he was one half of the Poltrona Brothers and co-founder of the Circ Cric
BarcelonaA master of laughter has passed away. Clown Antoni Maria Claret Papiol, one of the innovators of clowning in Catalonia after the Franco regime, passed away yesterday, Friday, at the age of 71. Born in Barcelona in 1954, with an undeniable comic talent and the power of words, he founded the duo German in 1976. Armchair Roscón"We were the first clowns to perform in Catalan, and we did it for the normalization of humor in the country," he defended. mustache, with which he would transform over the years into all kinds of memorable characters, such as Mr. Peperoni, Mr. Sàrries, Dr. Paperinassa, and the master of ceremonies Monsieur Loyal, who trotted on a horse within the Circo Cric or the Circo Raluy in the late 1980s. He sharpened his tandem and added new skills and traveling companions. In 1980, when the Circ Cric intended to have a tent and go on tour, he abandoned the project because he preferred to continue being a "text clown." He embarked on another tandem with Dr. Soler. Flash. He would later return to television as the anti-hero ofCaptain Lettuce, already in the 90s.
Claret Papiol had trained at the Barcelona Theatre Institute, where he was a student of Joan Font and Josep Maria Benaiges, and also learned in different countries around Europe. He would later become a clown teacher himself at different schools, such as La Casona, the Escola Memory and El Galliner. He collaborated with Titelles Marduix, La Claca and the Circ Cric, and in 1988 he created his own company, Claret Clown, with which he had created shows such as Ipso Flauto, I'm a clown, Devos to you and KOLO 1714.
He has received recognition from the profession, despite the fact that many today regret that he was a little-known name for the general public. In 2018, he was named Golden Nose at the Cornellà Clown Festival, and in 2023, the Zirkòlika circus awards honored him with a lifetime achievement award.
The Hostalric City Council, where the farewell will take place this Saturday, has mourned the clown's death through social media with a message of remembrance: "Thank you, Claret Papiol, for having delighted the public with your talent and ingenuity."