Circus escapades from top clowning talent, and reported twunk.
Lachlan Werner made a storm on the clowning scene with his debut character show, Voices of Evil. Does WonderTwunk have the potential to match the magic?
The WundaBarn at the SpiegelGardens provides a suitable setting for the circus. Werner strides onto the stage as Jack Hammer, supposedly the world’s strongest twink/hunk (twunk). There’s lots of posturing from this whimsical weightlifter, while the show puts him under continued strain. His devious dad has warned him that he’s a very strong boy. You can look, but you can’t touch. Just the merest of meeting of fingertips could prove deadly, which is tricky when you’ve just fallen in love with an audience member.
Werner has extraordinary stage presence. Putting the theme to one side for a moment, this performance is almost a whole variety show in its own right, with Werner playing every single character. There’s ventriloquism, puppetry, ‘weightlifting’, dancing, singing, character comedy and clowning. It’s mighty impressive from one performer. Werner is a master of voices and facial expressions. An unexpected impression of Gemma Collins has the audience in stitches.
This is magical idea for a show, but this twunk’s hour still needs a bit of tweaking. Given that it’s a work-in-progress, that’s to be expected, and even applauded. Every show benefits from a bit of time to work out the kinks, even when it’s performed by a master like Werner. The time to test your ideas on an audience is critical for success.
In this case, the narrative feels a little lost amongst plentiful prancing at times. There’s sections that feel a little disjointed from the point of the show. Self-dubbed as the ‘poof prince of puppets’, Werner is an exceptional prancer. But it would be even better if the prancing followed a clearer path, taking the audience on a defined journey with the protagonist. The bones of this are there, and it will undoubtedly evolve and develop as Werner prepares for an international tour.
WonderTwunk shows real clowning spunk. It received a standing ovation from many. With a few tweaks, the new show from this talented twunk is sure to be a strong boy success.
Reviewed on Friday 23 May 2025.
