The term "reprise" itself is used quite widely. First of all, in many types of pop and circus art, where it is a number or a stage filled with actions strung on a single plot. A clown’s reprise is a verbal scene or a pantomime (and more often an alloy of these two directions), which in the original playful or tragicomic manner carry a message expressed in the language of symbols, remarks and allegories.
The essence of the issue
Almost all the clown reprises that world-class artists left behind, being real works of art, are popular and quite applicable on stage today. The secret that makes hundreds of thousands of people laugh or think at them from decade to decade is their meaningfulness, depth and references to eternal, enduring values. This is one of the most striking features that a truly good reprise has. What such an action means for a circus performance is difficult to exaggerate.
A striking example of the significance of a clown in a circus performance can be the work of the great mime Leonid Yengibarov, whose numbers, as a rule, were put at the end of the entire circus program and were its main sight (a case almost unprecedented).
In general, the order in which performances are located in concert action is of great importance. Moreover, this applies to such a thin material, which is usually a clown reprise. It is quite simple to explain what such a high value is attached precisely to pantomime or to satirical or parody numbers.
Art fabric performances
In order to clearly demonstrate what place a reprise should take, what is the sequence and rationality of the arrangement of numbers, one should turn to the example, which can be found in large numbers in the history of circus art.
So, the legendary Pencil, which, as you know, was distinguished by a subtle sense of art space, successfully selected props and had an innate sense of proportion. For example, in his issue of Foci, the Soviet artist, as a real illusionist, showed the public a sheet of newspaper in which he wrapped a bottle in front of everyone, and after several bright gestures shouting “Tricks!” unfolded it. A bottle with a bow rolled out of his trouser leg, and the clown "with shame" ran away to the joyful laughter of the public.
It is easy to imagine how hard it would be for a real illusionist to speak after such a Pencil number. Therefore, the clown always staged such performances strictly after the parodied objects, thereby enhancing the effect of their numbers. This is the meaning of reprise; what is the real sideshow in circus art.
Result
It is worth noting that over time, the activities of clowns aimed at debunking myths about circus strongmen, fire absorbers and circus miracles did their job. And now, in the arena, the rate is increasingly being placed on visual numbers and acrobatics. Illusionists, however, are a bit of a thing of the past.
Speaking about the clown’s supertask in general, it can be assumed that it is ridiculing the very nature of the circus and its methods: he rides a horse, climbs under the dome to walk along the rope, box with a kangaroo - and makes it all so that the audience goes into laughter . However, this is only what is on the surface.
Looking for ridiculous sides in the most diverse pictures of his life, the artist seems to set off what is worthy of respect. The tightrope walker may fall - the clown falls, causing fear in the viewer. A juggler can drop a mace - a clown will certainly drop it, and only on his head (himself or his companion).
However, where there is nothing to laugh at, the subtly sensitive artist will not do this. So, at the beginning of his career, Pencil planned to organize a live lion number, taking as the basis the episode from the famous Chaplin's film “Circus”. However, he very soon abandoned his idea, explaining that he couldn’t find anything funny in that he was kept behind bars and forced to dance to music with a whip.