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History

We reflect life in a funhouse mirror, and walk the knife-edge between laugher and tears. We celebrate that deep down, we are all beautiful Fools.

Christine Lesiak, Small Matters’ Artistic Director

Small Matters Productions was founded in 2007 by Christine Lesiak and Anna Bado, fueled by their passion to create modern clown theatre for adult audiences. They were soon joined by Adam Keefe, and premiered their first full-length clown show featuring red-nosed clowns Rocket & Sheshells – Why Do Fools Fall in Love? – at the 2008 Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival.

In 2009, they welcomed clown-master Jan Henderson as resident director. Two more Rocket & Sheshells shows followed – Sofa So Good (2010) and Fools for Love (2012). In 2013, SMP premiered Ask Aggie – The Advice Diva, their first solo performer show.

Their foray into site-specific theatre began with 900 Seconds (2015, Found Festival), and continued with Lesiak’s production The Object of Constellations (2016, The University of Alberta). 

Over Her Dead Body (2017, Fringe Spotlight Series) returned Canadian clowning legend Jan Henderson to the stage for the first time in 25 years, soon followed by the hit show, For Science! (2018-23, touring).

2023 saw the premiere of both The Space Between Stars, and The Spinsters.

They created and performed countless short works, most notably The Heavy Sleeper (2013, Expanse Movement Festival and Toronto Festival of Clowns), and Wrap Race (2015).

Small Matters has performed their award-winning full-length shows throughout Canada, at the Toronto Festival of Clowns, and the New York International Clown Theater Festival. They have performed their original short works in too many events to count, including: Edmonton’s Expanse Movement Arts Festival, NextFest, the Fool’s Gold Cabaret series, Glitterball (Luna Dance Fusion), Toronto’s Lunacy Cabaret, Shelley Marshall’s Full Bawdy Comedy Show, the Dr. Caligari Cabarets in Winnipeg & Vancouver, Vancouver’s In Jest Festival, and Play the Fool Festival.

Small Matters collaborates frequently with Edmonton’s Catch the Keys Productions, most notably in their annual production Dead Centre of Town (2007-2022),and The Runcible Riddle (2016).