Adelaide Fringe

Fringe Review: Frank Woodley – *@#!KING CLOWN

Frank Woodley wants you to believe that he is an awkward man.

4

Presented by Token Events
Reviewed 21 February 2019

Frank Woodley wants you to believe that he is an awkward man.

But with his mastery of physical comedy, and quick-fire improvisational skills, it’s hard to believe this could really be the case.

In *@#!KING CLOWN Woodley weaves totally unexpected transformations of the tone, genre and set up of his show into the 60 minute tale of an ill-fated visit to Marseille. Having arrived under the mistaken impression that he will be the master in a ‘master-class’ on clowning, he is shocked to find that “Franc Woodle’ has merely been invited to introduce the real star of the show, a legendary Russian clown. Disappointed but undeterred, he decides to join the three-day theatre boot camp and prove his King Clown worth.

This set-up gives Woodley the space to explore an unconventional range of comedic avenues. We hear him play guitar and sing, execute character monologues in a deep Russian accent, and trial physical comedy routines that are at once legendary and refreshing.

This flexibility makes the show feel exploratory, with Woodley openly nudging and goading the audience to find the sweet spot for this particular crowd. His bumbling manner betrays a nervousness that seems to have never left him – or has it? When a drunken audience member enters the crowd two-thirds of the way through, Woodley’s improvised response to a heckled “What’d I miss” is effortless, hilarious and confident. It becomes one of the highlights of the night. He is a fantastic comedian with an uncanny ability and tireless desire to demonstrate the full range of comedic possibilities offered not just by funny stories, but by the experimental use of sound and body comedy.

Woodley hinges entire chapters of the show on his apparent inability to do anything right, whether this be saying the right thing, or timing costume changes and prop setups. He’s so good at acting like everything has gone hilariously wrong that you leave the show wondering what was intentional and what was spontaneous. He is a master of earnest, perfectly timed awkwardness.

Reviewed by Ana Obradovic

Rating out of 5: 4

Venue:   The Factory, Garden Of Unearthly Delights
Season:  Until March 1
Duration:  60 mins
Tickets:  $29-42
Bookings:  https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/frank-woodley-king-clown-af2020

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