Too Clowns is a silent clown show that explores loneliness, with chalk-written words reading “Bella + Puzzo” introducing us to the characters. Puzzo arrives upbeat and ready to go, but Bella is nowhere to be seen. The show must go on, so Puzzo turns to the full-house at the 11pm showing to help fill the gap. What sets Too Clown apart is its commitment to silence and audience dependency, using participation not as a novelty but as the core structure of the piece, where the performance genuinely shifts based on who steps up.
Bella's name is rubbed off the board and the new partner’s name is written in its place. Puzzo puts them through a series of tests with varying levels of success, where missing a throw or stumbling at a section of choreography is enough to send them back into the darkness of the crowd, prompting Puzzo to once again seek a replacement. The repeated process of selecting and testing volunteers creates a familiar cycle, but each attempt feels different, keeping the audience engaged in how the interactions unfold rather than whether they succeed.
A particularly memorable instance comes when a volunteer is brought on stage and a song begins to play, with Warren-Smith stepping back and allowing them to take the lead through improvised movement and dance, letting the moment develop unpredictably, and highlighting how much he is at the mercy of his audience just as much as they are of him.
Warren-Smith is a masterful clown, using his facial expressions as a primary tool of communication, shifting from disapproval at laughter to things that are not meant to be funny (but really are), and an almost needy search for approval and reassurance. His reactions are precise and readable, enabling the audience to track his internal state without a single word, which adds clarity and rhythm to the performance and reinforces the underlying feeling of isolation and sadness that sits beneath the comedy. His physicality and engagement are equally central to Too Clowns. He moves with intention, using space, gesture, and timing to draw people in and adapts fluidly to each interaction with his replacements while maintaining control of the overall format.
The finale is a moving reminder to never lose your sense of play and fun, that it exists within all of us, while also landing as a reflection on loneliness and the grief that lingers when someone we care for is no longer in our lives. Too Clowns is an emotional work that balances humour with a heartfelt undercurrent, anchored in both levity and loss.
SHOW DETAILS
Venue: The Motley Wherehaus, 432 Queen St, Melbourne
Season: until 18 April | Fri & Sat 11pm
Duration: 50 minutes
Tickets: $34 Full | $29 Conc
Bookings: The Motley Wherehaus
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