Anna Marie Simonsen

• Anna Marie Simonsen (SOHO Theatre alumni & Pleasance Futures) is a clown, theatre maker and director based in London. She graduated with a BA in Drama & Theatre Arts from Goldsmiths University 2019 where she studied clowning under the teaching of Goze Saner.

  Her award-winning clown show Naughty have toured in Norway and the UK, won the funniest moment award under Oslo Fringe 2021 and was listed as 'unmissable' by ToDoList. In 2019 she directed the“innovative and heartfelt" (★★★★ The Scotsman) London-hit Forbruker. Forbruker had a successful run at Edinburgh fringe, following sold out performances at SOHO Theatre.

  Anna Marie is fascinated by clowning - how it provides space & freedom to explore/challenge audience's preconceptions. She loves using comedy & audience interaction as tools to subvert. Through her work she aim to unveil the complexity of the modern world through drawing attention to its inherent ridiculousness & promote the underrepresented art form of clowning. The stage provides her an unregulated space to be ugly, to not appease or conform to society’s misogynistic ideals of beauty. Clowning is her form of protest.