‘I want to enable people to feel that they can take risks themselves’

Liz Clarke is a strong believer in the beneficial power of discovering one’s superhero alter-ego.

“Everybody is unique and sometimes it’s about getting people to realise that,” she begins, when we meet to discuss her new show Cannonballista. “I use this metaphor of the social superhero alter-ego to take the participants on a journey, and ask people questions about creating a character based upon yourself – ‘What can you achieve with the help of this character?’.”

Liz Clarke as Betty Bruiser

Liz’s own superhero alter-ego, Betty Bruiser, has been part of her life for many years, but she only recently began to use the role as a metaphor for finding her own truth. “Betty has her roots in burlesque, although I’m not as connected with that world anymore. She was an excuse for me to go in darker, wilder and weirder places than I would normally do in my own practice.

“For me, that’s what it’s all about – the dark clown. There’s always tragedy behind the comedy. It’s been important for me to use another method, which is much removed from yourself, because once we put a character to these attributes, it’s not quite so personal, and you may be able to view them in a different light.

“I think people are drawn to the show because it’s a universal experience, and it’s an invitation to reflect on their own experiences, and to talk about it.”

With Cannonballista, Liz is exploring her own story for the first time. As her first full-length theatrical piece, it’s been a long journey of discovery that couldn’t have been accomplished without the help of her alter-ego, Betty Bruiser.

“This is a show that’s been dying to come out of me for a really long time, and it feels good that it’s finally there. It’s an exploration of how grief changes, and how we change as we get older, from quite a unique take.

“It’s been quite an unusual process. We work from a really sort of physical angle: there’s a lot of being quite silly, always from an improvisational stance. I’m really excited about taking it back to the space at the Brunswick Club – it feels like this show is part of the fabric of the carpets and the wallpaper.”

ACannonballista workshop

Liz is also running a series of workshops for women around the show, sharing her practice and creative process, and allowing the participants to share their own stories.

“I work with all genders most of the time, but there’s just a magic of a female space in terms of a rich generation of storytelling amongst women. It really became apparent in this process early on that people do behave differently, and women found a certain freedom to go to a deeper, more open place more quickly, when they were only surrounded by other women.

“The way I’ve described it over the years is: extraordinary women living extraordinary lives. Everyone has the struggles they’ve overcome, whether that’s just getting up in the morning and getting on the bus, or escaping from a violent relationship. I can think of spine-tingling moments when people are telling their stories. It’s fantastic to witness that – there’s loads of tears and loads of laughter.”

https://vimeo.com/233634930

Having worked with organisations like Bristol Cyrenians, Carr Gomm and Next Link, as well as with the arts team at Bristol City Council, Liz has a long history of encouraging creativity in areas of Bristol that don’t get as much arts provision. She has a particular interest in helping those with lived experience of poor mental health.

“Everyone suffers on a certain level with their mental health,” she points out. “It’s normalising that and giving it a voice and doing it in safe company in a constructive, safe environment. My whole practice is built upon taking risks in performance, and getting the support level right to enable people to feel that they can take risks themselves.”

The workshops accompanying Cannonballista are subsidised by Bristol City Council’s Creative Seed Fund and National Lottery players, allowing the team to offer bursary places. “We don’t want finances to be a barrier,” Liz says.

Over all, she hopes the show will be a “unique peek” into her life, and also something of a mirror for the audience. “It’s prompted by those kind of big life events that spark a complete change,” she says. “We want those who see the show to make a connection for themselves.”

Liz Clarke’s new show Cannonballista will be at the Brunswick Club on October 21. Tickets are £12 and are available here.