Jango Starr: One Man Shoe

Byre Theatre, St Andrews, July 15-28

Jango has been many things in his life, including a magician and a zoo keeper.

But for this extended run of his show, One Man Shoe, he’s a stagehand who is thrust into having to accept the limelight when the star act doesn’t turn up.

In real life Jango is Clive Andrews, an actor, clown, juggler, aerialist and physical theatre performer whose alter ego has been picking up some great reviews.

Janis Claxton, producer of Jango’s solo show says: “Jango Starr is a hapless innocent who was first discovered in a lighthouse in Scotland when the final lighthouse keeper was retired to technology.”

The show includes contemporary circus clowning, slapstick comedy, puppetry, dance, juggling and absurd magic. It’s also a unique piece of silent physical theatre, a tale of achievement against the odds which pulls on the heartstrings.

“It’s exciting and uplifting, and people laugh and cheer Jango on as they watch him struggle with complex slapstick situations,” says Claxton.

“Lots of audience members make contact after the show and come back to see it again.”

Developed over the past two years with the support of Creative Scotland and Fife Cultural Trust, and premiered in February 2016, there’s a lot of top Scottish talent involved in One Man Shoe.

Andrews has performed for adults and children throughout Scotland for 25 years, including at Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games in 2014 and Glasgow Comedy Festival, while a number of established theatre professionals work on the show behind the scenes.

Director Gerry Mulgrew was the co-founder of the Communicado theatre company, the director of Liz Lochhead’s Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off, and an actor in the recent adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s Lanark; Philip Pinsky has worked as a composer for the Royal Lyceum and the National Theatre of Scotland; while designer Becky Minto has worked for the National Theatre of Scotland and the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

“It’s a fantastic and rare opportunity to have a long run of shows in one venue, so we jumped at the chance when Liam Sinclair (of the Byre Theatre) offered Jango this opportunity to create havoc on a regular basis,” says Claxton.

“Dates are set for a Highlands tour in September this year and further touring in 2018, then Jango will be coming back to his old job in an attempt to keep the lights on in The Lighthouse Keeper.”

Clive Andrews as Jango Straw.