In 40 years they have been together, In 40 years they have amused people with their traditionel clown act. One August and the white clever guy. They are original and they have worked out so many different acts that they could work in month and still be funny. We are talking about the Chicky's .
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The Chickys become 3 when Bruno married Patricia. |
The Chicky's has never compromised with their own traditions, never felt for the easy way to amusse people but always tried to find new ways. One example was their illussion act preformed in the Danish circus Benneweis in 1992. Here they called themselves for The Nellys and preformed a commic illussion act with simple, childish and very old tricks. But it was funny. Many new European clowns are going the easy way. They are hitting eatchother but there is no story behind. Yes ! Violence can be funny, but violence just for the violence will erease the souls in those acts. Chickys will never do sutch a thing.
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The two famous clowns. The painting was on the back of Circus Brazil Jack's 1996 Souvenier program. The Artist who painted Chicky's was "Tino Rivero" |
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In 1957 to young Swiezz guys started their own Clown entree. The entree made them worldfamous and let them in to all the big wellknown circus around in Europe. Their debut was in the Swedish Circus " Zoo circus", run by Trolle Rhodin and five years later (1962) they were engaged in Cirque Royal in Brussel (Belgium). Here they met the beautiful highwire artist Patricia. She became Brunos wife and suddenly the Chicky' s was 3 persons. The name was changed to Chicky an Co.
Patricia
in Cirque Royal. Were she met Bruno and became a member of Chicky's and
Co.
Bruno Stutz - the white clown is 62 years old and from Geneva and Eugen Altenburger " Chicky" the "August" 72 years from Rappersvil Switzerland. They are both born outside the circus millieu and comes from ordinary civilian homes. Their masks has not been through manny changes ( see the older pictures). Brunos mask has not changed at all. But their entree has changed manny times. For every Eourepean circus seasson Chicky and co. found new ways to amusse their audience. Some of the entrees with sutch huge succes that every circus all over europe would like them, to performe in their arena.
Everybody can understand Chicky's .They speak so many different languages and they do it so well that everyone in the tent have no doubt, about whats going on. There isen't so many Clown troups in these days there are able to do the same.
Do you want to hear the Chickey's speak Danish ??
Push the notes
 Eugene
in 1957, with his Saxophone.
Picture from the Swedish "Zoo Circus" |
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Early
picture(1957). as you can see on the picture Brunos mask are exactly the
same as it is today. Look at the line over his eyes and then look at
the to first pictures on the top in this side.. Nothing is
changed.  Early
picture - From Trolle Rhodin's "Zoo Circus" in
Sweden. Eugene as a lady with big baloon breasts. The famous
Italien clowns "Rastellies" did the same act. |
 Picture
taken in 1989 - with and without their masks. |
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Eugene
in 1993
Maybe one of the most famous entrees by the Chicky's " The Mirror Entree". If you want to se this act you have to find Circus Krone somewhere in Germany, because Chicky's are here for the sommerseasson 2002.
Picture from 1994
Video with Chicky's can be bought from Circus Scott on their web page.
The video includes to tapes with lots of different clowns.
Rastellies, Charlie Rivel, George Carl, Joe Jackson jr. and of course the Chickey's. The tapes are made in 1974 and it is a special production probably for the Swedish Television. The Web address for Circus Scott is on the Link page.
Where have they been:
1957 Circus - "Zoo Cirkus" Sweeden
1958 - Circus Empress
1962 - Cirkus Royale - Belgium.
1963 Knie Switzerland.
1965 - Krone Germany
1966 - Krone Germany
!967 - Krone Germany
1971 - Benneweis Copenhagen Denmark.
1971 - Benneweis Tent - Denmark.
1974 Knie - Switzerland.
1974 - special appearance for the video Clown-Clown in Stockholm - Sweden.
1975 Knie Switzerland.
1976 Barum - Germany.
1978 - Benneweis - Denmark.
1979 - Benneweis Copenhagen Denmark.
1980 Barum - Germany.
1982 - Nock - Oesterreich
1983 - Merano - Norway.
1984 - Benneweis - Denmark
1984/85 Eindhoven and Circus Krone circus building -Germany
1985 - Krone - Germany
1986 - Krone - Germany
1987 - Krone - Germany.
1988 - Krone - Germany
1989 - Benneweis - Denmark
90 - Circus Medrano - France
91 - Circus Medrano -Winter (France)
1992 - Benneweis - Denmark
1993 - Benneweis - Denmark.
1993/94 - winter in circus Medrano - Italy
1994 - Benneweis - Denmark
1995 - Benneweis - Denmark
1996 - Circus Brazil Jack - Sweden.
1997 - Medrano- Switzerland.
1998 Circus Maximum Sweden
1998/99 Winter circus Krone - Germany
1999 - Circus Maximum - Sweden
2000 Circus Krone - Germany
2001 - Circus Krone - Germany
2002 - Circus Krone - Germany
Books
Of couse they made a book in Denmark. It's a clown book for kids and all photos are taken in Circus Benneweis - Denmark. In Danish only but there is a lot of pictures
Book
for kids.
If you are a collector of books and don't have the Chicky book.
Please contact me on E.mail and I will try to get it for you
And here is a little personel greeting from the Chicky's
If you have any comments to the article or if you can help me with filling out the missing years in the list above. Please let me know. Thank you.