On 7 October 2023, as Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon operated under rocket fire, the medical teams faced an endless flow of casualties and desperate families searching for their loved ones. Alongside the doctors and nurses stood the medical clowns. Ilya Domanov, a medical clown with the Dream Doctors Project and a member of the Barzilai staff for over a decade, interviewed medical teams, patients, and fellow clowns. From these testimonies he created the documentary performance My Red Nose.

Through the eyes of a clown, the play reveals the chaos of the war’s first days: the struggle, confusion, and fear, as well as rare moments of grace and hope. It is the story of those who became witnesses against their will, and of those who fought to save not only body, but also spirit. What is the role of a medical clown in a reality filled with pain and loss? How do you keep smiling when the world around you collapses? My Red Nose seeks answers – and invites the audience to share this journey.

Ilya Domanov is an independent artist and teacher, actor and medical clown. He is a graduate of the Academy of Eurhythmy and the Center for Dramatic Art (both in Moscow). He studied at GITIS/RATI (Moscow). He studied, among other things, acting, dance, Butoh, clowning, dance, and dance improvisation in Russia, Germany, Spain, Sweden, and Ireland. Since 2000, he has been involved in acting, dance, performing arts, and choreography in independent projects in Israel, Russia, and Europe. 

Michael Teplitsky is a director and actor. He was born in 1968 in Baku, Azerbaijan, and in 1990 he immigrated to Israel. He is a graduate of the Academy of Theatre, Music and Cinema in St. Petersburg (Russia), and Beit Zvi School of Performing Arts. In 1997, together with his colleagues, he founded the Malenky Theatre, where he currently serves as the artistic director.