Borderline- Clown show-Calais Jungle

comes back to London for 7 performances only!

13 countries 1 family

A unique theatre ensemble

The Satire of the Calais Jungle

A devised theatre show with refugee & European performers.

BORDERLINE

DOCUMENTARY

TRAILER

“Borderline” is a satirical comedy about the Calais Jungle refugee camp, devised in 2016 by PSYCHEdelight, a theatre company known for its bold work on migration and exile.

The show was born from art-based workshops held in the Calais Jungle throughout 2015–2016, where refugees used humour to cope with and express the gravity of their experiences. Sophie, a theatre director and art therapist, witnessed a powerful hunger for comedy amidst the tragedy — a desire to laugh, connect, and be seen beyond victimhood.

The result is Borderline, a devised theatre piece created over six weeks with a unique theatre ensemble of refugee and European performers from nine different countries: the UK, France, Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, Italy, Palestine, Chile, and Sudan. Fusing clowning, physical theatre, and satire, Borderline offers a bold, funny, and deeply human look at borders, bureaucracy, and belonging.

ABOUT BORDERLINE

Because comedy is the flip side of tragedy — a way to process pain through laughter. With Borderline, we chose humour to devise a theatre show that explores the absurdity of the Western response to the Calais Jungle. We bounced off its contradictions and chaos, using satire to reflect the surreal reality refugees were facing. Our goal was also to shift public perception — to move away from the dark, one-dimensional images often seen in the media. We wanted to highlight the resilience, the creativity, and above all, the remarkable sense of humour of the people we met — a humour that helped them endure even the harshest moments of their journeys.

Borderline is co-produced by Counterpoints Art and received the precious support from Arts Council UK, The French Institute, The Cockpit, The Young Vic taking part, Theatre Delicatessen and Old Vic Workrooms.

"Borderline has established PSYCHEdelight as one of the leading creators of theatre with refugees, exploring new ways to embed genuine participation that

can lead to professional performance and artistic development." Counterpoints Art