Since founding in 2018, we at Ugly Bucket have strived to unite audiences in the most outrageous ways we can. We love to clash unconventional theatre methods to create hilarious gut-punching shows.
The Stage has described Ugly Bucket as a lurid, liberating, frenetic maelstrom of clowning, slapstick and techno.
When people are laughing, they’re also listening. We platform honest stories by working alongside communities to incorporate verbatim as a framework for our devising process. We raise awareness, change perspectives, and unite audiences with the confidence and tools to tackle dysfunctional and taboo topics beyond the theatre.
We are also passionate about the incorporation of access within our productions, and throughout our creative journey strive to explore new and dynamic ways to make our practice more accessible.
Not only do we want our shows to be perspective changing, but also high quality, spine tingling pieces of theatre. We believe that change and action is possible when audiences are bound by electric experiences.
Ugly Bucket have gone on to become a multi award winning national touring company, with multiple Edinburgh Fringe sell out runs and features on the BBC and Sky News, alongside their own published play text.
Beyond this, we work with schools, universities, organisations and community groups to spread the brilliant and impactful practice of clowning.
We believe clowning is a powerful tool for community bonding, self exploration and social change. Every year, Ugly Bucket run their own clowning retreat - The Big Bucket Retreat; Eat Sleep Clown Repeat - at Bidston Observatory Artistic Research Centre.
