A Little Nonsense (Tour-Wardrobe Theatre)

A Little Nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men; so sings Willy Wonka in the film of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the quotation is chanted verbatim a number of times in the course of Juncture Theatre’s sixty minute, Edinburgh bound piece of absurdism. Writer Oliver Hoare seems to have taken as inspiration some of the big boys; not only everyone’s favourite chocalatier but also Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter. Because as Clown (Andy Kelly) and Man (Matt Christmas)face up to an indefinite period of waiting for something; anything; with only language and nonsense for company, we are instinctively reminded of two tramps waiting for Godot or the hitmen lying low in The Dumb Waiter.

Pinter and Beckett though were geniuses and could create poetry from the utter mundane. Hoare’s text works incredibly hard but it lacks sparkle, its not poetic enough or unfortunately funny enough. As an audience you can instinctively hear the best writing, its in the cadences,; the rhythm and musicality of the language. Here this language is not exactly stilted but it wades through treacle to make its point. And some of the metaphors land with a heavy thump, a reference to a paedophile lacing someone with sugar, doesn’t shock as much as make you wince with its bluntness.

For 40 minutes or so you feel you know exactly where its going as Kelly’s ever bright eyed clown is bullied and threatened by Christmas’ dominating writer. You feel as though here are two men who are destined to repeat this act forevermore. But to the credit of Hoare, the play shifts tactics, as props are pulled from the filing cabinets, the writer dons his own set of clown make up and playful anarchy begins. For ten minutes or so the theatre felt alive with possibility and excitement, of spontaneity and joy and both actors seemed to rise more comfortably to this, as though the handbrakes were off. Then the original clown strips away his mask and the roles have reversed from the beginning; something that will play out ad infinitum in the world of this couple.

Both actors give highly physical, commited and sweaty performances in Anna Girvan‘s effective production which uses the intimate surrounding of the Wadrobe Theatre to keep the small audience engaged throughout in the action. But the production works best when being nonsense and less well when it tries to aim for profundity. An hour of play in the hands of these clowns could really have been a treat.

A Little Nonsense plays at the Wadrobe Theatre untill the 25th July before playing the Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh from the 30th July.