12, 19, 25 Aug £8.50 (£7.50)

 

 

 

 

“A Little Nonsense”  is a truly superb piece of fringe theatre, with incredibly well structured writing, featuring moments of great pathos as well as high comedy, and strong performances from the actors.  With hints of Beckett, and perhaps Pinter, we meet a writer and a clown forever trapped together in a room with a typewriter.

 

 

 

It is hard to explain exactly what the show is about – perhaps the different characters manifesting inside us all, maybe a meta deconstruction of comedic forms, possibly the tragedy of ageing and leaving our childish natures behind – but without a doubt it is a show that will leave you in stitches.  Andy Kelly, playing the clown for the most part, has superb comic timing and a wonderfully appealing physical performance style that instantly pulls in the audience, and Matt Christmas, switches fantastically from playing a rather intimidating straight man to a charismatic clown.

With moments of surrealism, highbrow poetics, fantastic clowning, pathos and tragedy, and the best stream of knock-knock jokes you are likely to hear on the fringe, ‘”A Little Nonsense” now and then will be cherished by the wisest’ of fringe audiences.

 

 

 

Reviewer : Lydia Mason