‘A little nonsense, now and then, is relished by the wisest men’
This Roald Dahl quotation is the phrase that stayed with me as I left the Bikeshed theatre after being entertained by Anna Girvan’s farcical production of ‘A Little Nonsense’.
The play itself, produced by Juncture Theatre, explores a bizarre relationship between a clown and a man in a solitary room, as each character strives to bring out a bit of themselves in the other.
Despite the production’s outer comic appearance, the brick layered venue provided the ideal backdrop for the darker undertones which emerged throughout the play.
Additionally, the intimacy of the performance played to the strength of Oliver Hoare’s original script, allowing the two men to interact constantly with audience members. As the play began the clown sat centre-stage mocking the occupied man, and flirting with the audience.
It was apparent from the outset that the frustrated and slightly sadistic nature of the man was used as an antithesis to the vibrant personality of the clown.
The typical working man, concerned with the ‘arrangements’ he has to complete, is unable to tolerate the carefree and childish nature of the clown, obsessed with shouting him down and humiliating him.
The man’s intolerance of the clown is inspired by Samuel Beckett’s exasperation with language and the clown’s physical comedy by Buster Keaton. Yet, the play finds a perfect balance between the two techniques creating a piece of contrast and surrealism.
The double act of Adam Blake and Harry Humberstone was undeniably energetic and their ability to create physical comedy along with more disturbing hilarity was impressive. However, the highlight was most certainly a short passage of mimed physical theatre, using only a rope, chair, cloth and a couple of clothing pegs, whereby they created a plethora a visual spectacles to music including: a marriage, a war-game, a man fishing and the death of a family.
The mime was shortly followed by a role reversal in which the man transformed into a clown and the clown a man. Again the versatility of the double act was surprisingly entertaining. The role reversal expressed strong connotations of the need for humour in everyone’s life and that there is a little madness in all of us. Yet, whilst this message was conveyed through the clown, there was a more sincere implication that unrequited love and heartbreak is what causes us to lose this humour and act as the frustrated man.
Admittedly, both the comedy and sincerity was successful. Nevertheless, the ‘off the wall’ nature of the play was not always effective and caused not only confusion but slight awkwardness in the audience interaction.
Additionally, the script was slow at times and the performance was guilty of dipping in energy levels before moments of climax, especially during the middle section of the play.
This being said, the venue, actors and mime were what allowed this performance to flourish creating laughs, tension and more than a little nonsense!
‘A Little Nonsense’ showed at The BikeShed Theatre, Exeter on the 12th February.
By Sophy Coombes-Roberts
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