clown
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‘Monks’ ― brilliant charm and charisma
Monks is the work of Canadian clowns and actors Annie Luján and Veronica Hortigüela, who welcome us – their first visitors in five years – to their Spanish monastery in the year 1157. Both are resplendent in full monk costumes, down to tonsure wigs (the traditional monk haircut.) There’s limited character background provided, with one monk being the ignored youngest son of a nobleman and the other ‘born in that field,’ and both suffering from their vows of celibacy.
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Julie Masli: ha ha ha ha ha ha ha review – ‘enigmatic charisma’
Julie Masli brings her acclaimed show ‘ha ha ha ha ha ha ha,’ to the Old Vic. The show has had huge success, being voted the Most Innovative Show by the Offies and winning the 2023 Best Show Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, among considerable other recognition. The show’s blurb is ‘ hahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahaha hihihi hahahahahahahaha hoho hahahhahahaha hehe hahahahahahahahahaha,’ and this, combined with Masli’s considerable background in clowning, meant I was knew I was in for an intriguing evening.
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‘Pull My Goldfinger’ at the Alma Tavern review: ‘some genuinely inventive moments’
Carlos Sandin’s one-man show Pull My Goldfinger starts before the lights go down, as he lightly commentates on the incoming audience, warning several in jumpers and coats to take them off and promising to restart if someone comes in late. We are here for a one-man show about James Bond – hence the title – with our fully naked actor initially performing as a caveman being bequeathed a traditional black briefcase and becoming the famous spy.