Pip Utton

Chaplin by Pip Utton

Directed by Geoff Bullen

´A day without laughter is a day wasted

It places me on a far higher plane than any politician. In the end, everything is a gag.’ - Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin created The Tramp, one of the most famous cinema images of all time. And in doing so Chaplin trapped himself inside an image he never truly managed to succeed without. Chaplin was the outstanding genius of the silent movie era. The most famous man of his age. His genius raised early slapstick to a level of comedy setting the bench mark for future movie makers. But he never maintained that brilliance in the world of ‘talkies’. He had plenty he wanted to say, but sadly he never worked out how to say it.

The Tramp never spoke, just one gibberish song, no more, and yet his films said more to their audience than Chaplin ever managed to do in his few talkies. Worshipped for his silent creation Chaplin never achieved the same critical and public acclaim in his other films.

The Tramp made Chaplin the best known and best-paid film actor of his age. The Tramp opened the doors of society and celebrity to Chaplin and gave him a life style of endless young women and riches. The Tramp earned Chaplin the reputation of ‘genius’ and he propelled him into the worlds of intellectuals and royalty.

Not bad for a street urchin brought up in the Dickensian slums and workhouses of late 19^th century London!

But His fondness for young ladies is legendary, he married two 16 year olds, and at the age of 54 married the 18 years old Oona.

He was accused of sexual perversion by the press and the courts. He was vilified for his treatment of his ex-wives, and accused of being communist, he was investigated by McCarthy. In 1952 his American visa was revoked  (he never became an American citizen, calling himself a ‘citizen of the world’) and he settled in Switzerland, where he lived for the rest of his life with Oona and their children.

Chaplin remains one of the greatest clowns of all time. He created an image of himself for public consumption that hid the darker sides of his personality. In his new play Pip Utton steps in and out of the screen and becomes Charlie Chaplin, stripping away the myths and the moustache and revealing the man beneath.

(70 mins, 1 on the road domestically 2 internationally, workshops available)

Pip's Note
‘Chaplin’ is a gentle play; with I hope a little edge to it. Rather like Chaplin’s films. Most of my writing up till now has been far more confrontational. Chaplin didn’t work out that way. I didn’t feel the need to dwell over long on Chaplin’s career; why tell people what they already know? But of course it had to be part of the monologue. There was also no need to make the play revolve around his sexual appetites, or his supposed political leanings, but again they must be part. And of course I have had to come to some conclusions about all these things. They can neither be ignored nor dwelt on; the play has a limited timescale.

So I have decided to begin with the older Chaplin on Christmas morning 1977, just one hour before he dies. I concerned myself with the frustration of being trapped within an image - the private man searching for public recognition for his ‘genius’, whilst the public the world over worshipped his creation – the Tramp.

The Tramp was Chaplin but Chaplin wasn’t merely the Tramp. The Tramp is one of the most recognisable images ever. Charles Chaplin is not. This is the true nightmare of celebrity. Am I loved as myself or only as my work? Chaplin’s genius created the Tramp but he was encouraged by so much acclaim to believe that he was a ‘genius’ – full stop.

Chaplin’s autobiography paints the picture that he wanted us to see. I think that he wanted us to be impressed by him as a truly great man. It contains many dubious claims about his past and leaves out much of importance. Even during his lifetime he was contradictory about much of the background to his life. He tried in fact to create his own history.

Chaplin’s career in film spanned the first sixty years of the movie industry. During this time movie making took the medium from the very basic silents to the glories of stereo wide-screen Technicolor. Did Chaplin’s genius develop alongside or did it remain only in those early silents?

It would take a much more talented, brave, and/or conceited man than me to attempt to imitate Charlie Chaplin on stage. In film Charlie Chaplin was a genius; in a world awestruck by the magic of film. On stage I can only hope to capture some of the spirit of the man, the private man haunted by and in conflict with the public image.

Reviews

*****The British Theatre Guide 2007
I think Pip Utton is an alien, a protean creature which can turn into anything it desires! I've seen him as Tony Hancock, Adolf Hitler and Francis Bacon, as well as a Roy Orbison lookalike and Joseph the father of Jesus, and he was utterly convincing as all of them. He even managed to look like his subjects. And this year he takes on the old Charlie Chaplin and does it again. He takes us inside Chaplin's mind, exploring his memories and feelings, and we come away feeling that we really understand the man, that we really have spent an hour in his company. There can be no greater praise than that."

****One4review.com 2007
"Very cleverly written and beautifully directed with close attention to detail. As usual if you go to see Pip Utton perform you know you are in for some high quality theatre."

****Three Weeks 2007
"..... a powerful and engaging performance....."

FRINGEREVIEW.COM 2007
"Pip Utton - not to be missed as Adolf AND Charlie Chaplin! ....... Utton is such a fine performer, we'd recommend you see both shows."

"Pip Utton is the doyen of the fringe one man show" - The Daily Telegraph Top Twenty 2007

"Utton is the master of the controversial one man show" – The Guardian

Chaplin Tech Spec Click this link to download as a 30kb Word Document

Promotional Material

Click here for general Promo; or these links for Chaplin video clips, photos and brochure text.

Please contact me, Pip to discuss performances, copies of the script or performing rights.

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Adolf ] [ Bacon ] [ Chaplin ] [ Kean ] [ Labels ] [ Only the Lonely ] [ Resolution ] [ Son of the Father ] [ Sunday Morning ] [ War of the Worlds ]

Copyright © 2004 to 2010 Pip Utton Theatre Company