"Personal contact with the audience is very important".

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In 2014, he won the Dutch Championship of magic, but he is actualy a clown. Patrick "Jofri" Boekschooten is a familiar face in the circus world. Humor with its own style, with an eye for this time and new every year. "I want to continue to surprise the public and constantly challenge myself." He has been doing this for more than twenty-five years at the Magic Circus. His appearance fully meets the expectations that children have of a clown. Cheerful, sympathetic, and funny.

A clown as portrayed in a children's book. But not always with the red nose and big shoes. Sympathy is important, says Jofri. ,, Contact with the public is important. Even essential for me because that's what you do it for. People must be able to touch you, in a manner of speaking. For example, I walk around the tent or foyer before the show. For me it's about the contact moment. There is time for a photo, people give a high five, things like that. ”Jofri talks very modestly about himself. Still, the passion of a man who lives for his profession resounds in every word. Literally in his case. "My cradle was in the circus." His parents operated the Dutch Circus Piste for years. Between 1971 and the early nineties, the company traveled through villages and neighborhoods of large cities. A company with a two-mast tent and many brightly colored cars. Father was mostly fakir, mother did an act with dogs and geese. My brother was a clown and I was told to join him in the ring.

I was less than two years old and my mother made my first clown costume. ”He did not have a clear mentor. ,, I taught myself everything. And of course I looked a lot at other artists to get inspiration. ”He chose his circus consciously and with full conviction. ,, A clown must be able to do more than just be funny. I learned tap dancing, juggling, playing musical instruments and acrobatics. It gave me more leeway, made me versatile. I actually think that every clown should master the basic principles of those disciplines. " Because of this versatility, he ended up at Winter Circus Arlette Hanson where he has played various roles for ten years both in and outside the show as a director, magician, comedian, actor and of course also as a clown.