PERFORMANCE & COMEDY

Rondo Theatre, Bath (Wed 16 Nov)

COMIC THEATRE Modern clowning is far, far removed from the old-style idea of garish makeup, oversized shoes and cars that fall apart, or that unfunny geek with the white jodhpurs and clarinet. And the latest offering from Bristolians Gonzo Moose is an example of how much we have to be thankful for nowadays.

Purporting to be an exploration of the life and works of the brothers Grimm (and their forgotten sister, Lottie), this piece takes you on a joyous roller-coaster ride through comic situations and characters more varied than you might have thought possible. Using loose (very loose!) references to Grimm stories as a jumping-off point, the three multi-skilled performers work through a sort of narrative structure based on a quest to save the life of one brother from the consequences of a Faustian pact.

But grim, it ain’t. With such delights as a fairy king and queen who are actually New York Jewish, tiny ‘elves’ with Mexican accents represented only by hand-held flashing lights, a posturing heroic Prince who ‘speaks’ only in wildly exaggerated mime, biscuit-obsessed monsters and more. Who would believe there was wildly comic potential in a hanged man having his arm torn off? Or a bloody on-stage operation to remove a clock from a man’s stomach? But these guys can do this sort of thing in spades. No opportunity for laughs of all kinds is wasted: not a second passes without a gag, verbal or visual, blatant or sly. This is seriously talented comic inventiveness, and pure joy from start to finish. Do not miss any chance to see it. (John Christopher Wood)

Copyright John Christopher Wood 2011