Taking IT too far? Mother dresses as Pennywise and hides in a wheelie bin to terrify her clown-phobic son after he refuses to make her a morning coffee
- Hester Greeff, 41, horrified her son Ruan Becker in Johannesburg, South Africa
- She dressed as the character from Steven King’s novel and the 2017 film IT
- Ruan, 20, says he ‘absolutely hates clowns’ after seeing the TV show at nine
A mum dressed up as Pennywise the clown and hid in her own wheelie bin to terrify her clown-phobic son because he refused to make her morning cup of coffee.
Hester Greeff, 41, decided to dress as the character from the Steven King’s novel and film It before her son Ruan Becker left for work in Johannesburg, South Africa.
She frightened Ruan, 20, by dressing as the clown he had feared since he was nine-years-old and first saw the character on screen in a television miniseries.
The housewife used makeup and an old fancy-dress outfit to transform herself and caught the moment her son saw her and screamed on camera.
Ruan Becker, 20, is horrified by his mum Hester Greeff, 41, who dressed as Pennywise the Dancing Clown from the 2017 movie IT in Johannesburg, South Africa
Ruan throws his arms in the air when he sees his mum dressed as the character he has feared since he was nine-years-old. She hid in the bin after he refused to make her a cup of coffee in the morning
Hester lies in wait in the bin outside her home after her boyfriend Jannie Botha, 44, asks Ruan to take out the rubbish.
Ruan casually walks to the wheelie bin while looking away and opens the lid before he spots the killer clown inside.
He throws his arms in the air and jumps up in panic as he shouts out and drops the lid back down.
Jannie laughs holding the camera as Ruan drops the bag, runs away and heads straight back into the house for safety.
Hester used an old fancy dress outfit and make-up to transform herself into the terrifying character
She wore an orange wig and painted her face white before adding the characteristic red nose and smile, which extends above her eyes
The look was completed by wearing a long white gown, adding to the ghostly feel of the character who is defined as a ‘cosmic evil’ in Steven King’s book
Ruan, a hospital authorisation clerk, said: ‘I was so scared, I didn’t know what to do.
‘I absolutely hate clowns, I have been ever since I watched IT when I was nine-years-old.
‘I had no idea they had planned anything so it was a complete shock. I didn’t see it coming as this is completely out of character for my mum.
Ruan says the prank ‘was completely out of character’ for his mum and it scared the life out of him
The clip filmed on April 14 has been viewed more than 1.7 million times on Facebook, with some saying they would ‘cry their eyes out’ if it happened to them
‘We never prank each other but this started with me not making her a cup of coffee. I could not believe it.
‘The first time I watched IT, I had a nightmare the same night. The next time I went to a funfair I was chased by a clown for a joke and I just started screaming.
‘I haven’t planned anything yet, but I will get my mum back.’
Bill Skarsgård plays Pennywise the clown in the 2017 film adaptation of Steven King’s 1986 horror novel, as well as in the 2019 sequel It Chapter Two
The character first appeared on screen as a 1990 television miniseries featuring Tim Curry in the titular role
The clip filmed on April 14 has been viewed more than 1.7 million times on Facebook, with some saying they would ‘cry their eyes out’ if it happened to them.
Steven King’s 1986 horror novel IT was originally adapted into a television miniseries in 1990, with Tim Curry playing the titular character, also known as Pennywise.
The killer clown is described as an ancient cosmic evil who prays on the children of Derry, Maine, every 27 years.
The book was most recently adapted as a 2017 film, featuring Bill Skarsgård in the frightening role, and was given a sequel in 2019, It Chapter Two.