Bad Clowns: Invasion – New Wimbledon Theatre

Promising an hour of absolute tomfoolery, laughter, and hoots, the Bad Clowns Trio presented Bad Clowns: Invasion at the New Wimbledon Theatre as part of their fringe festival. The Bureau for Alien Defence (B.A.D.) is faced with an arduous task which is to locate a mind-controlling alien and diffuse a time bomb that can wipe off the entire planet. Trying all kinds of unique and hilarious gimmicks to complete the task at hand, do Agents Sam and Christian succeed?

The small black box theatre space known as the Studio welcomed the audience with two special agents curiously questioning spectators about their favourite planet, occasionally showing off their pistols. This interaction was enough to predict the laughter that was delivered quite efficiently in the due course of the play. The show began with a hilarious song and dance with a predictable number “Are you an alien?” What was surprising though was how the choreography completely contrasted their three-piece suit attire and invited some more chortles from the audience.

Highly skilled in improvisation, the trio successfully managed to include audience suggestions and comments into their narrative. True to the clowning principle, each character had its flaw that was only heightened as the show progressed. While Agent Sam constantly made silly mistakes lacking common sense, Agent Christian tried to solve them in ways that would keep making it worse. Special Agent J-1’s character, apparently their boss, was a unique blend of the two agents further adding to their misery making it ever so comic for the audience. Producing well-rehearsed yet spontaneous propositions to solve the task, the fast-paced comedy did not fail to include the audience’s ideas. This was yet another successful endeavour to intertwine clowning into their set.

The comedy was further highlighted by prototypical sci-fi sounds and gadgets, Windows XP errors flashing on the projector screen, and typical disco music and lights for the dance sections reminiscing the late 90s and early 2000s. It was a commendable job by the tech team to handle light and sound cues with such an apt timing in a highly improvisational set.

Besides an exceptional performance, the trio’s commitment, enthusiasm and sheer love for their work were highly cheered by the audience. Extremely hilarious, bold, and clever, it’s a must-watch for an entertaining time.

Next stop Edinburgh, https://www.badclownscomedy.com/home

Reviewer: Khushboo Shah

Reviewed: 10th June 2022

North West End UK Rating: ★★★★