European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 3, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Profile comedy s terrible twit spells horror with an x photos and Story by Anita Gosch staff writer he looks like a Cross Between tiny Tim and Frank Zappa. He counts Danny Kaye and red Skelton among his inspirations. And in his adult comedy routines he pokes fun at just about anyone himself included. He s Jango Edwards a former Detroit landscape contractor who has become Europe s favorite Clown. He s not a traditional circus Clown instead he s what he Calls a Nouveau  he uses typical Clown elements acting singing dancing juggling acrobatics and pantomime but becomes a social commentator of sorts providing a Zany and often controversial look at such topics As politics religion and of course sex drugs and Rock n Roll. A Clown is a walking newspaper he says a reflection of what s happening around  Edwards current show night mirrors tales from a twit reflects Man s fascination with a Grade horror movies while at the same time exploring such emotions As fear guilt and jealousy. It is a hilarious Triplex rated horror comedy cabaret in which Edwards presents six Stephen King style skits four per performance with the help of sophisticated audio visual techniques. The two hour show three quarters of which is in English is definitely not for prudes. The creeper opens with a scene reminiscent of an american Werewolf in London Complete with Thunder and lightning hooting owls and creaking doors. Edwards portrays a stereotypical american dressed in jeans sneakers and baseball Cap and chewing a wad of Bubble gum who learns that the saying Home Sweet Home does t hold True when Home turns out to be a haunted House. In have a heart Edwards becomes the mad or. Doctor with a raging libido who promises to share his heart with his assistant. During an operation he performs on himself the doctor removes All of his insides but discovers that his heart is almost impossible to find. Edwards is a British wheelchair bound octogenarian in Rudolph and Valentine who suffers from guilt at having murdered his wife in a fit of jealousy Long ago. And in on the Edge he is any lovelorn John Doe who attempts suicide. Between the skits Edwards troupe presents Short fillers some work some Don t. There s one called dead Rock stars live from the grave which Edwards says is anti exploitation of dead musicians. Another one is a rather disgusting sketch on bodily excretions. And in another Reagan appears As Frankenstein. Not All of Edwards skits Are meant to be humorous he says. The suicide piece it s funny but it s not funny. Every seven seconds someone kills himself. I make you laugh at that but i also make you think about  in real life Edwards looks very much like the american he portrays in the creeper Complete with Bubble gum and baseball Cap his Bushy Brown Ponytail hanging Well below his shoulder Blades. As a youngster he had never thought about becoming a Clown he says and followed in his father s footsteps As a landscape contractor. At age 19, a Book he read changed his life. It was one of the Many books written about self awareness he says. It was about cosmic consciousness becoming a stronger person and becoming aware of what s happening around  Edwards As the mad or. Doctor has trouble expressing his emotions to his assistant stripes photos Anita Gosch in the late 60s, Edwards dropped out of society and became what was called a hippie Back then. He left Detroit heading first to Morocco then to London where he began doing Clown skits in the streets and subway stations. He finally settled in Amsterdam in 1975 to become a full time Clown. That year he inaugurated the festival of fools in conjunction with a four week fools school which provided an outlet for the Many Street performers at the end of the show Edwards Here As Rudolph reminds the audience Don t be afraid he found in the City. Since then the festival has become an International event taking place every two years in various european cities. It will take place in Amsterdam in 1987, according to Edwards now 35, Edwards appears to be As Zany As some of the characters he portrays. He recalls a recent trip to Moscow where he performed during a youth communist festival. I had been smuggled in As part of a dutch communist youth delegation he says. After the show the Kab came and interviewed me and escorted me out the next Day. I was Lucky i got out. The Guy who brought me in another Clown was  he has received criticism in some Western countries for his antics. The German Public was outraged several years ago when he flashed on National television and he was charged with blasphemy in 1979 for having portrayed Christ As a nightclub Singer. The skit was titled Oral Bob s stairway to the  the show was totally pro Christian he says. In fact it was anti commercialism of the Church. An archbishop in Munster saw the show and sent me a Telegram calling it toilet theater. Then a politician took me to court for blasphemy. It s still in  still Edwards popularity continues to grow. He Hopes to tour new zealand again As Well As Japan and South America and in june hell return to the United states. Edwards has his own theory As to what makes his show work my Success is very much geared to economic social and political unrest he says. In Germany my Success came during the late 1970s terrorist episodes when there was a lot of pressure politically. I became very popular during that time because i m a valve. Whether i m making political jokes or not my show gives people a Chance to laugh and  Edwards show is subtitled the Midnight horror comedy show so starting times tend to be late in the evening. Check the on stage pages in this Issue for the tour dates and Call the respective Halls for the starting time. 20 stripes Magazine apri 3,1986