A group of cowled clowns from Los Angeles is currently making waves at the Edinburgh Festival with a buzzy, bizarre production that has earned a nomination for the best comedy newcomer award. The show, which features four performers acting as monks, opens with a unique attempt at audience engagement when a performer asks, “A nyone ever been born before?” This surreal tone continues as the ensemble stages a birth scene, complete with an umbilical cord and a gurgling, newborn-style greeting from D Marcucci: “goo goo ga ga – G’day!”
The performance, co-directed by John Norris and Corey Podell, focuses on the physical discovery of the self. Norris, Claire Woolner, Max Baumgarten, and Marcucci portray characters who seem to be experiencing their own bodies for the first time. Whether they are reacting with shock to the discovery of a moustache or struggling to navigate the basic mechanics of having a tongue, the quartet maintains a high level of physical commitment. As they shuffle nervously among the audience, clutching a bowl of water and occasionally seizing personal items like lanyards, they appear bound by a mysterious, half-forgotten code.
While the initial moments of the production may strike some viewers as self-indulgent, the show quickly evolves into a complex exploration of alienation, connection, and the limitations of language. Through masterly movement, the monks transform a simple bowl of water into a mystical portal for interlinked visions. The choreography is precise, spanning from a nonsense-filled ball game to a slow, humorous duet with an audience member set to Adele, and even a Bob Fosse-inspired routine.
The troupe also uses the show to test the concept of faith, most notably through a recurring, failed attempt at a trust fall that highlights their characters’ lack of coordination. The performance remains playful and twisty, offering a flurry of final reveals that leave the audience with plenty to contemplate. Those interested in catching the show can see it at Assembly George Square Gardens in Edinburgh until August 30. Following the festival run, the production is scheduled to move to the Soho Theatre in London, where it will play from January 11 to January 23.
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