Since I first met Jango at his first performance at the Melkweg in Amsterdam, laughter and smiles have never left me.
Dated: · Europe/Berlin
Jango Edwards (1950–2023), born Stanley Ted Edwards in Detroit, made Europe his home and clowning his life’s work. With the Friends Road Show, the Festival of Fools and the Nouveau Clown movement, he helped create spaces where physical comedy, music and irreverence could meet.
Jango on film · ARTE TRACKS
The ARTE TRACKS portrait “Anarcho-Clown Jango Edwards”, from the broadcaster’s YouTube channel. German-language video.
Remembering the person
Behind the unruly stage presence, friends remembered generosity. In Le Parisien, Antoine de Caunes speaks of a friend he loved deeply. Claudia Karner’s farewell follows the laughter and provocation through memories of performances in Austria.
- Claudia Karner · Dorfzeitung · 9 August 2023
“Death of a clown”: a remembrance of his performances, the Friends Road Show and his connection with Salzburg. German; Austria.
- Emmanuel Marolle · Le Parisien · 5 August 2023
Antoine de Caunes remembers his friend’s freedom, unpredictability and generosity. French; full article may require a subscription.
- Albert de la Torre · El País · 5 August 2023
“¡Por ti, cabrón!”: a farewell to an irreverent, singular stage performer. Spanish; access may be limited.
A life across borders
His work mixed clowning with cabaret and music. Amsterdam’s Festival of Fools became an important meeting place. As the NOS obituary recalls, the Nouveau Clown idea also reached beyond the stage into streets, schools and hospitals.
- NOS · 7 August 2023
The Amsterdam years, Festival of Fools and Nouveau Clown, with an embedded 1980 Friends Roadshow performance. Dutch.
- Der Standard · 7 August 2023
An obituary recalling his Austrian stage and television appearances and his role in Nouveau Clown. German; Austria.
- Quotidiano Nazionale · 7 August 2023
“Jango e l’arte dell’irriverenza”: an Italian remembrance of his approach to clowning. Italian.
Barcelona and the work he leaves behind
Barcelona became his home in later life. The tributes there remember an artist who continued working and sharing his craft. EFE reported that he had finished The Clown Bible shortly before his death. These articles preserve different glimpses of his life and the people he reached.
- EFE · 5 August 2023
Barcelona’s farewell and his work on The Clown Bible, completed shortly before his death according to the report. Spanish.
- Xavi Serra · ARA · 5 August 2023
A Catalan obituary looking back at his shows and his final period of performing. Catalan.