“Pss pss” was the only word heard during the one-hour show of the clown duo I Baccalà, the Italian troupe who thrilled the crowd yesterday at El Genaina Theater on the second day of the Cairo International Circus Festival. Interacting with different cultures does not necessarily require words, especially in a world like the circus, where those being talked to are mostly kids. Their expressions communicated more than any possible word; they were stunned, fascinated and amused, even forgetting about their popcorn (and mothers know how rarely this happens). The public seemed to already know the clown duo formed by Camilla Pessi and Simone Fassari because they welcomed the Italians with incredible enthusiasm. Alhough dressing like clowns, I Baccalà combined traditional circus with modern street circus. They began with “Apple,” a manipulation of the fruit during a comic competition between the two clowns, who continuously teased each other into action, whispering “pss pss” and providing distractions. What really thrilled the public was the acrobatics and physical comedy which showed the performers to be real professionals. Connecting the first part, the trapeze and the interaction with the public was their “baccalà” facial expression. As Simone, the male clown, explained, “We chose this name for our group because when I was a kid my father, as well as Camilla's grandfather, used to call us baccalà,” which in Italian literally means “codfish” and is used to connote an astonished and clumsy person with wide eyes. “We use this expression when kids fall down or make a mess, and parents reproach them saying ‘Don't be a baccalà,'” the female clown added. The clowns have been performing together since Christmas, 2004. “We first met when we attended the Dimitri School in Switzerland, and after different professional experiences and partners, we decided to work together,” Simone said. Camilla, who performs acrobatics with complete self-confidence, practiced competitive skiing for 15 years; when she stopped, she continued with acrobatics, linking this hobby to theater. After graduating in 2001, Simone, as well as Camilla, attended many workshops on acrobatics, dance, comic entertainment, while working for theater and traditional circus. Spreading and expanding the culture of street circus is one of the aims of the International Circus Festival. “In Italy,” I Baccalà explained, “the classical circus, with animals and traditional clowns wearing red nose and huge shoes, has strong roots. We belong to the modern circus, we don't represent the traditional clown, however, we also worked for the classical circus for some years. Both traditions have chances to express themselves in Italy, even though we work more abroad.” This is the first experience in Egypt for I Baccalà; they performed in Turkey, China, Moscow, South Africa, Guadalupe and all over Europe. “We are particularly happy to be here in Cairo and of the positive feedback from the public,” Camilla explained enthusiastically. “We were surprised by the spectator's interaction during the show. The circus is an exchange between the public and the artist. Here in Egypt, where the physical contact is not common, seeing people react positively when we hug them during the show is amazing. This is proof of the cultural power that both circus and theater have in overcoming cultural barriers which sometimes wrongly label us.”
