The Kipper Kids

The Kipper Kidswere a duo composed ofMartin Rochus Sebastian von Haselberg(born 20 January 1949) andBrian Routh(1948–2018), two artists known for the extreme and often comedicperformance artthey made together in the 1970s and after. Von Haselberg lives and works inNew York, and Routh most recently lived inLeicester, England. From 1971, the duo were also known asHarry and Harry Kipper.
While attendingEast 15 Acting School, Martin von Haselberg andBrian Routhinvented a character they calledHarry Kipper. Upon being expelled from the school on the claim of "too experimental",  they began working as a touring act. They were originally called Harry and Alf Kipper and had two distinctly different characters. Later, they dropped the name Alf and decided to call each other Harry and make their characters identical.
From 1971 to 1975, most of their performances took place in Europe.In 1974, David Ross, later director of theWhitney Museum of Artand theSan Francisco Museum of Modern Art, saw them in performance atGallerie Rudolf ZwirnerinCologneand invited them to do some shows in California.The Kipper Kids moved toLos Angelesin 1975 and became associated with the early years ofpunk.
In 1982, they stopped actively collaborating. Their final performance together was at theNational Review of Live Art,Glasgow, in 2003.They reunited as The Kipper Kids in 2018 to perform the song "Mah Nà Mah Nà" for the albumDr. Demento: Covered in Punk.
Quoting from an announcement for theBerkeley Art Museum: "Through actions that at times stress the visual, and the violent aspects of social rituals, the British Team of Harry and Harry Kipper perform in a fashion that combines the zany theatrics ofSpike Milliganwith ascatologicalslapstickthat is all their own". Routh and von Haselberg created elaborate but purposely low-tech installations in which they would perform "ceremonies" using  mostly found objects. Examples are  "Tea Ceremony" (1972) aJapanese tea ceremony-inspired piece and "Boxing Ceremony" (1972) in which one performer beats himself until bloodied while the other acts as referee.  Japanese rituals, Englishmusic hall,Viennese Actionism, and the work ofSamuel Beckettwere amongst their influences.
The Kipper Kids made two projects for television. ForHBOthey producedMum's Magic Mulch, and forCinemax,K.O. Kippers, while the Kids also appeared in a 1982 project for HBO executive-produced by von Haselberg,The Mondo Beyondo Show, a one time presentation for performance artists (including a pre-StompYes/No People,La La La Human Steps,Bill Irwin,Paul Zaloomand others) hosted by Bette Midler's Mondo Beyondo character.  Von Haselberg made a number of films at theAmerican Film Institutewith Routh in the lead role:Quiet Lives(1991),People Are No Damn Good(1991) andYour Turn To Roll It #54(1992). They also were seen as characters in the 1982 filmForbidden Zoneand the 1989 filmUHF. Another television appearance came during thefifth seasonofABC'sMoonlighting. First aired onValentine's Day, 1989, "I See England, I See France, I See Maddie's Netherworld" featured The Kipper Kids as a pair of gravediggers in a surreal dream sequence. The Kipper Kids also performed a song in the 1991 comedy filmThe Addams Family: "Playmates" which can be heard in the film and on its soundtrack.
Later, Martin von Haselberg created a series of large photographic images made intoinflatablesculptural shapes titledFloatulents.
Von Haselberg has been married toBette Midlersince 1984. They have one daughter together, actressSophie von Haselberg.
Routh was married three times: tonet.artpioneerNina Sobellfrom 1975 to 1981,to performance artistKaren Finleyfrom 1981 to 1987,and to digital artist Patricia Wells.