Mary Sandling obituary Mary Sandling attended Nose to Nose clowning workshops after the death of her husband, Frank, and at the age of 72 joined the theatre troupe Peepolykus. Photograph: Alison Stockford Mary Sandling attended Nose to Nose clowning workshops after the death of her husband, Frank, and at the age of 72 joined the theatre troupe Peepolykus. Photograph: Alison Stockford AnnePhilbrow Wed 2 Jun 2021 12.18 EDT Last modified on Wed 2 Jun 2021 12.49 EDT My aunt Mary Sandling, who has died aged 93, was an activist, a civil service librarian and, late in life, a clown. In the early 1990s, a few years after her husband, Frank, had died, Mary attended a performance of the Snow Show by Slava Polunin, and her fascination led her to Nose to Nose clowning workshops. The clown community became very important to her and she made close friends. Mary progressed to performing – initially workshops, then small spaces and pubs.