Writer: Jonah Fried
Director: Izzy Ponsford
It’s time for clowns in what surely must be the most endearing show at Camden Fringe this year. Sharply performed and cosily funny, On The Nose is anything but.
Buddy and Dorothy are birthday party clowns entertaining children and the occasional grown-up. They’ve both taken an oath that ties them to clowning for the rest of their lives. But while Dorothy is content with doing her job, even attempting to break into the under-twos market, Buddy yearns for something more.
However, theatre directors don’t want to cast clowns as Hamlet or Stanley Kowalski, especially as clowns’ wigs and red noses appear to be permanent and non-detachable features. Therefore, Buddy struggles at his auditions.
Dorothy is eventually supportive of Buddy’s pursuit of a new career, but, in what is an underdeveloped subplot, she’s busy protesting against the public’s new fear of the ‘Clownmunity’. However, the fear isn’t rooted in coulrophobia but more connected to the ungrounded hatred of trans and drag queen communities. It’s an interesting way to make this piece relevant to the present day, but as a metaphor, it doesn’t quite work yet.
If the politics of On The Nose are not fully explored, the remarkable performances by Jonah Fried (Buddy) and Catherine Clay (Dorothy) more than compensate. You can almost feel the sadness coming off Buddy as he half-heartedly performs songs and dances for children, while Dorothy is a tireless optimist, finding jokes in everything. Even Dorothy’s chants at the demos she attends are humorous.
Director Izzy Ponsford keeps the action moving swiftly and uses some excellent music choices to carry the story along. For example, Under Pressure plays as Buddy and Dorothy study acting manuals. And the sound of a clown car is a delightful, unseen delight. It’s a gentle, warm-hearted piece and impossible not to like.
Runs until 15 August 2025
Camden Fringe runs until 24 August 2025
