Bigsby (Character)

Bigsby is a fictional character played by H. Fritz Bishop in the 2017 film, Bigsby.

Bigsby is a homeless, alcoholic who appears to solely support himself as a clown by performing party tricks and playing a ukulele in the streets of Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Bigsby does not appear to have any formal training as a clown, but he applies his own face paint, wears a clown nose, and spray paints his shoes red to maintain appearances despite otherwise dressing in tattered clothes.

Development and Casting
Bigsby was created and portrayed by H. Fritz Bishop, who was inspired while working on a theatrical production of "Bluenose", a children's play about pirate clowns, with costars Eric Letcher and Rachael Murphy, which was directed by Scott Sharplin, who would later develop the first script with Fritz.

Fritz has cited one particular instance during "Bluenose" in which he was standing outside an elementary school gymnasium, smoking cigarettes with costar Eric Letcher in full costume and clown makeup as the inciting incident which would later inspire the conception of the character and subsequent film.

The character's physical appearance was based on an earlier role in which Fritz shaved his head to portray a forty year old man for a play, while the face paint was the exact same design which Fritz wore for "Bluenose". Bigsby's costume consists of clothes owned by Fritz including a pair of shoes which previously belonged to his late grandfather and a jacket which he found hanging from a tree in a Halifax cemetery.

Bigsby claims to be Jewish in an argument with Drowsy, a trait which he seems to share with Clem, based on her surname.

While promoting the film, Fritz appeared as Bigsby at the 2016 Lumiere Arts Fesitval in Sydney, performing party tricks and balloon animals for donations. Less than a half hour after beginning the performance, Fritz was removed by a festival coordinator.

Fritz later performed the role of "Cyril" for a live read of Cyril the Clown at Tar City's Burnt Out event.

Appearances
Bigsby (2017) Cyril the Clown (2018)
 * "Bigsby the Clown"
 * "Bigsby the Father"
 * "Bigsby the Entertainer"
 * "Bigsby the Fighter"