By: Julia Masli
Reviewer: Simon Topping
This Malcolm Hardee Award winning comedian wows the Brighton Fringe with her debut show; an homage to migration in the form of fabulous absurdist physical comedy, with a sprinkling of Choosh! (a slang term for bullshit).
Coming onto stage like a warped and clean shaven Charlie Chaplin, dressed all in black with massively oversized stuffed trousers and a broken umbrella, Julia Masli delights the audience with her gently provocative and regularly hilarious clowning antics.
Tonight’s show follows the story of a hungry clown from an Eastern European village who voyages to America for a hot dog and to chase the American dream, with bizarre and unexpected consequences.
With an immense amount of charm Masli holds the audience in the palm of her hand, sometimes literally, as she guides us into her outlandish world until the crowd is fully immersed, largely mesmerised by her performance and sometimes excitedly bemused.
Her clowning characters are naïve and lovable. They gently challenge the audience over the course of the evening. Masli goads her crowd members into looking after a “dog” that is drawn on her hand, to marry her main protagonist, make love to and even shoot him (with our fingers that is). All interactions are carried out with a glee and an impishness that is wonderful to watch.
Being a rather reserved, typically British audience, we don’t do well as Masli tries to illicit sex noises from us in a very funny scene that sees her legs play the role of newly weds on their wedding night together, but the performer perseveres. Any reaction is mined for the laughter it creates, even if that’s the awkward and repressed vibe of the Brits around her acknowledging sexual acts.
As the story continues we see the happy couple welcome a daughter, whose ambition is to find her calling in life. She goes through a myriad of bad jobs, wonderfully acted out, until, at the end of the show she has found her purpose.
Choosh! Is a triumphant show, which revels in its own madness. From innovative crowd work and laugh out loud audience participation, to the simple mesmeric movement of a hand to present a dog.
This piece is a very accomplished debut, funny throughout, full of joy and cheekiness. It balances the line between watchab ility and the surreal very well. Anyone who gets the chance to see Masli live should grab the chance with open arms.
Reviewed On 29th May
The Review Hub Score
Clowning Excellence
