{"id":117692,"date":"2025-09-18T15:30:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T19:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=117692"},"modified":"2025-09-19T14:00:30","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T18:00:30","slug":"interview-festival-creator-performer-morgan-joy-talks-clowning-show-peggys-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/09\/18\/interview-festival-creator-performer-morgan-joy-talks-clowning-show-peggys-place\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | What The Festival: Creator &amp; Performer Morgan Joy Talks About Clowning &amp; Her Show Peggy\u2019s Place"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_117694\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-117694\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-117694\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2025-09-18T152845.415.jpg\" alt=\"Performer, creator Morgan Joy (Photos courtesy of the artist)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2025-09-18T152845.415.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2025-09-18T152845.415-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2025-09-18T152845.415-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2025-09-18T152845.415-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-117694\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Performer, creator Morgan Joy (Photos courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Toronto\u2019s What The Festival is for the adventurous, for those looking for something a little out of the ordinary. Its focus is clown, puppetry, and drag, and it\u2019s the second year for the eclectic performance series.<\/p>\n<p>What The Festival takes place from September 25 to 27 at three venues in <a href=\"https:\/\/youngplace.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Youngplace<\/a>, a cultural hub in the city\u2019s west end.<\/p>\n<p>Expect a series of over the top performances and characters, chock full of DIY stage magic and costumes.<\/p>\n<p>We spoke to Morgan Joy, creator and performer in Peggy\u2019s Place, an interactive show in the Festival.<\/p>\n<h2>Peggy\u2019s Place<\/h2>\n<p>Peggy\u2019s Place combines colourful puppets with music and clown in a format modelled after the classic after school specials of the late 20th century, with a live studio audience. After School Specials were directed at teens, and designed to examine difficult topics and socially relevant issues such as drug use.<\/p>\n<p>In Peggy\u2019s Place, the theme is friendship \u2014 but it\u2019s a show designed for adults, led by a middle-aged clown (played by Morgan). Peggy, the clown, shares an apartment with puppet roommates Hobart and Lenor.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s unexpected, but entirely intended by Joy, who was co-creator of Sweet and Sultry Burlesque, which won Patrons&#8217; Pick at the 2025 Toronto Fringe.<\/p>\n<p>Along with clowns and puppets, the show will include musical accompaniment by Trevor Nelson.<\/p>\n<p>Expect the unexpected: \u201cIn Peggy&#8217;s Place, you never know which set piece will come alive next in puppet form.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IZFs0nXrAzo?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h2>Morgan Joy: The Interview<\/h2>\n<p>Morgan\u2019s Peggy sings as part of the show. \u201cI co-composed the theme song,\u201d she says. She worked with singer-songwriter Dana Jean Phoenix, and collaborated closely on the music for the show. \u201cI\u2019m directing the mood of the show and how I want the music to go,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n<p>Morgan\u2019s also responsible for the set and costumes, and the puppets (the latter with support by Robert Webster).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverything I do is really, really collaborative, and I like to tap into the strengths of the people around me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Assembling the right team is key. That includes fellow performers Dani Zimmer and Bobby Knauff, musician Trevor Nelson, with Dramaturgy and Direction by Isaac Kessler.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of it is trust, and being clear with what I want.\u201d When the group syncs, everything works. \u201cThat\u2019s my joy. I try very hard to work in groups.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As she points out, in clowning, a lot of shows are solo shows. It makes sense when you may be touring to Edinburgh for the Fringe or other festivals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut, that\u2019s not my joy. I like to offer jobs, and find work for people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to creating the show, it\u2019s also a group effort much of the time. \u201cOkay, what jokes can we find together?\u201d The successful results end up in the show.<\/p>\n<h3>Peggy\u2019s Place<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cFor me, Peggy is my clown character who is my inner child. She\u2019s like my Id. She\u2019s not censored, she\u2019s very loud. She\u2019s very self oriented.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Picking friendship \u2014 a concept you\u2019d typically link to a kids\u2019 show \u2014 was part of the plan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think there\u2019s something very funny that adults have to learn the same lessons that children learn.<br \/>\n\u2014 how to work with others, and work in a safe environment,\u201d Joy says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve got this character who\u2019s doing what she needs to do. I kind of refer to her as a scavenger, she\u2019s a raccoon of a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Friendship doesn\u2019t come easily to her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s willing to love, but it takes her a little longer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The puppets become characters who embody some of the qualities of friends and family, and in particular women, who\u2019ve influenced Joy throughout her life. Of course, being puppets, they have a quirky side.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m really influenced by the anything goes reality of cartoons, and how you can bend the truth and play with it,\u201d Morgan explains.<\/p>\n<p>Like clowns, puppets can do or be anything at all.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no rules,\u201d she points out.<\/p>\n<h3>DIY Ingenuity Meets Interactive<\/h3>\n<p>The show offers audience members a chance to join in the fun.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe audience is on the journey with you,\u201d she explains. \u201cUsing puppetry and using humour, people, their defences come down, and I think they see themselves in these situations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Exaggeration is the base for a lot of the humour. Peggy is very self-centred, and has a lot to learn about making friends.<\/p>\n<p>The set itself is part of the humour.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverything I make is recycled mattresses and cardboard,\u201d Joy says of her set pieces. \u201cIt\u2019s all junk,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n<p>Some of that ends up in the show, including \u2014 without giving too much away \u2014 a \u201ctelefoam\u201d that Peggy uses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn terms of the music, at one point I turn to the audience to get ideas on what words we should sing.\u201d It\u2019s part of their participation. \u201cThe audience is there for a reason.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Without having a set format, Joy creates shows that she would want to see and experience herself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do I want? What experience do I want, and how do build that world for my audience \u2014 with cardboard and duct tape?\u201d she considers.<\/p>\n<h3>Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cOne thing that\u2019s kind of important to me about this show, is that for a long time I didn\u2019t identify myself as a composer or a musician,\u201d Morgan says. She studied music, but kept hitting a wall when it came to theory. \u201cI gave up,\u201d she adds. \u201cBut I was always making up songs in my head.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s part of the spirit of the show.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think part of the reason that I\u2019m doing this show [&#8230;] is kind of a love letter to say, hey you can do this too. This can be accessible. You can bring to life this idea.\u201d The audience can sing along with the show.<\/p>\n<p>Clown performances have become more and more popular over the last decade or so.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI really think that people are curious about boundary testing, because clown can sometimes feel a little [&#8230;] unpredictable.\u201d Clown performances can veer in any direction, and often highlight ugliness and imperfections.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think people are sick of the image of perfection,\u201d she says. \u201cClown is the antithesis of perfection. I think people are drawn to [it].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Peggy, as she points out, is a model of imperfection. And that\u2019s perfect. \u201cShe is a 50+ woman who doesn\u2019t care what people think of her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Joy has been playing and developing the character since she herself was in her 40s. She says that women in particular tend to love her.<\/p>\n<p>Clown is always a safe place. \u201cI don\u2019t have to be beautiful,\u201d Morgan says. \u201cIt\u2019s fun.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the clown\u2019s job to respond to the world we live in. The show isn\u2019t overtly political, but does include some social commentary as par for the course.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe music is a really important character,\u201d she adds. \u201cMaestro is a character in the show.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s all about creating a kind of Looney Tunes reality. \u201cMusic is a huge part of that. It\u2019s really important to the show.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You\u2019ll find tickets and show details for the What The Festival [<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wtfestival.ca\/now\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/strong>].<\/li>\n<li>Find tickets and show details for Peggy&#8217;s Place [<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/peggys-place-by-morgan-joy-tickets-1626761380079?aff=erelexpmlt&amp;keep_tld=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/strong>].<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Are you looking to promote an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0e101a\"><u>event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? Have a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/masthead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>news tip<\/u><\/a>? Need to know the best\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/events\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>events<\/u><\/a>\u00a0happening this weekend? Send us a\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"mailto:anya@ludwig-van.com?subject=Let's%20chat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em><u>note<\/u>.<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em><b>#LUDWIGVAN<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n<p class=\"western\"><em>Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em>Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! \u2014 local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid=S3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid%3DS3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1695737525351000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0QTqKRwRJQFGK3KoJYigxX\">HERE<\/a>.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Toronto\u2019s What The Festival is for the adventurous, for those looking for something a little out of the ordinary, including Morgan Joy&#8217;s Peggy&#8217;s Place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":117694,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[41660,18,41496,29,4780,4557,62,63],"tags":[41930,42279,42280],"yst_prominent_words":[7200,25140,32142,36446,6616,8798,9949,11678],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2025-09-18T152845.415.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-uCg","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117692"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117692"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117692\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":117709,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117692\/revisions\/117709"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117694"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117692"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=117692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}