Dimitri is the most famous Swiss clown. He was born in Ascona in 1935 and since 1971 lives in Verscio, about twenty kilometres from his birthplace. During the years, the clown has created his small world in this little village at the entrance to the Centovalli. Everything can be found here: a theatre with two stages and a theatre school, a comedy museum, a clown park and a restaurant.

Even if Dimitri is very home-loving he has seen the entire world: his tours brought him to every continent and in Verscio he has welcomed people from all over the world. The “Teatro Dimitri” in the village of one thousand souls is probably the most famous cabaret stage in Switzerland. Countless soloists and theatre companies from all over the world have given their performances here.

Throughout the season, which lasts from April to October there are around 180 shows and almost all of them are sold out. Countless visitors arrive from far away – many come to see the entertainer Dimitri. The famous Swiss author Max Frisch once wrote about him: “This is a real clown.”

On tour with the Circus Knie

Already at the age of seven Dimitri Jakob Müller knew that he waned to become a clown. But he first became an apprentice potter and at the same time he took theatre classes, studied music as well as ballet and acrobatics and started performing in student theatres. In 1958 he became a member of Marcel Marceau's troupe. In the following year he appeared for the first time in a programme of his own in Ascona: “Porteur”.

Three years later, in 1961 Dimitri married his childhood sweetheart Gunda Salgo, with whom he fell in love for the first time in 1947. Together they have five children.

In 1970 Dimitri was engaged by the circus which had fascinated him when he took the decision to become a clown at age seven, the Swiss national Circus Knie. This made of Dimitri the first circus clown to have a theatre background and who was able to connect these two worlds. During the ‘80s and the ‘90s this combination has become very popular, for example with the Circus Roncalli.

With the money he earned thanks to his first tour with the Circus Knie, in 1971 Dimitri bought his own theatre in Verscio. Here shows with the great clown and students as principal participants are featured. Together with the singer Roberto Maggini in 1972 he toured performing folk songs from Ticino. One year later he went again on tour with the Circus Knie. Whenever possible between his tours he travelled back home to his little theatre.

Dimitri all over the world

In 1975 Dimitri toured in the United States for the first time. Back in Verscio, he used the fee earned overseas for the foundation the “Scuola Teatro Dimitri”, an academy for physical theatre. Some years later he founded the “Compagnia Teatro Dimitri” for which to this day he has created numerous plays.

In 1983 the clown’s tours also moved eastwards, to China and Japan, where he successfully performed seven times. From 1998 on he also became a director and organised a so-called circus fairytale with the Circus Monti. Shortly thereafter there was the opening of the “Museo Comico”, which is also in Verscio. In this space, Dimitri has realized his dream: to exhibit to the public pictures, panels, objects, musical instruments, sculptures, toys and masks all linked to the world of comic theatre, the circus and clowns. Kids will especially like the rich and wonderful collection of elephants from all across the world. The exhibition has been set up by Harald Szeemann and Christoph Zürcher.

For his merits in 2005 Dimitri was made an honorary citizen of the village of Verscio.