On the Nose – Courtyard Theatre
‘On the Nose’ is a feel-good flounce between the friendships of two working clowns, Buddy and Dorothy. Directed by Izzy Ponsford, the clown world presented in the play tested our sense of belonging - not without generous helpings of metatheatrical references!
With some fruitful audience interactions and echoes of familiar gags, these birthday clowns sprinkled silly all over. That is, until the friendship of this co-working duo is threatened by Buddy’s sudden desire to become an actor.
There was an implicit interrogation of queer actors’ exclusion from particular acting roles by the ‘high brows’ of theatre. The career-changing plight gave way to Buddy not being ‘straight enough’ to be an effective understudy for a catapult. Similarly, the strain on the pair’s friendship allowed fo...