Hotsy-Totsy review | Melbourne Fringe Festival | The Motley Wherehaus

They’re the birthday-party entertainers who decided it was time for a better gig. Created by Ava O’Brien and Peggie Barnes, Hotsy-Totsy brings the unbridled joy of a children’s party to an adult audience, combining clowning, cabaret, and puppetry with a healthy dose of silliness and decidedly grown-up humour.

As I take my seat, I notice heart-shaped boxes on some chairs and plates of sausages under others. This is going to be an interesting evening, I tell myself. Then O’Brien and Barnes appear on stage, moving as one. Not because they’re completely in sync, but because they’re stuck inside a T-shirt designed to fit one person. They make their way off the stage and begin interacting with the crowd while standing literally cheek to cheek. I always feel like you’re in for a good time at a comedy show when one performer looks at another and they crack up laughing (as does the room), and Hotsy-Totsy sustains that feeling.

Barnes’ clowning is particularly effective, with expressive facial reactions and physicality that convey her growing frustration at having to celebrate her best friend’s birthday. O’Brien demonstrates excellent comedic timing and impressive choreography. Together, they have an easy chemistry and a shared instinct for physical comedy, playing off each other to turn even the most ridiculous situations into comic gold, including a cabaret sequence where they dance with chairs.

Every so often, the performance breaks and the pair freeze as O’Brien tells us, “She’s here”. They then bring their bodies together again to create an animal for a sketch. The inventiveness lies not only in how they contort themselves to represent each creature, but in the way they use their restricted movement to find new comic possibilities.

The audience participation is also well handled, with the duo making several trips into the crowd to see what’s happening on the other side of the stage. A dating contest is another highlight, made all the more amusing by the luck of the participants selected, who prove well suited to the task.

With its infectious mischief, Hotsy-Totsy delivers on its promise of a children’s party for adults. O’Brien and Barnes make an entertaining double act, bringing a welcome sense of playfulness and reminding us that sometimes the best way to have fun is to stop taking ourselves so seriously. 

Read our interview with Ava O’Brien and Peggie Barnes here. 

SHOW DETAILS 

Venue: The Motley Wherehaus, 432 Queen St, Melbourne
Season: until 18 October | 7.45pm

Duration: 55 minutes
Tickets: $26 Full | $21 Conc | $20 Hump Day Wednesday
Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Images credit: Charlie Jewell