Tweedy’s Massive Solo Show is a fun-filled piece of classic clowning, with all the fabulous customary features: back-and-forth chase slapstick, scarf juggling, impressive paper manipulation, a range of circus balancing acts, magic tricks, and a whole lot more.
After receiving a letter from the King requesting Tweedy use his magician skills to replace the missing Union Jack flag, a scene of puppet fun and unabashed toilet humour ensues, heightening the raucousness of children’s laughter and demonstrating the show’s skill in effectively appealing to the genres of humour and pure silliness that makes its audience laugh the loudest.
The show was filled with child-like wonder and absurdity, with an iron for a dog, and a mop as another mystery pet. However, Tweedy talking to Siri felt out of place and un-magical, not drawing many laughs. Siri’s presence seemed to be solely to facilitate the dated gag of it not consistently understanding what is being requested of it — a mundane reality that hasn’t been funny for about 15 years.
Kindness, empathy, and compassion are core tenants of the clown ethos – the show unfortunately briefly strays from this in a moment that is more Punch and Judy than clown comedy. Tweedy fails to maintain committed to these core clowning principles (punching up not down, vulnerability over power, etc.) when force-feeding his monkey puppet a flag while the monkey begs him to stop – in Tweedy’s words “traumatising” him. It would have been far more comedically rewarding and in line with clowning values to present the monkey as a willing but hesitant participant. Instead, Tweedy comes off unnecessarily callous and uncaring about his monkey.
However, these flaws didn’t entirely drag it down, rather they prevented it from soaring as something truly spectacular, which was the path of the rest of the performance and the way it was received.
Tweedy’s Massive Solo Show is running until 30 August (not 24) at Udderbelly at Underbelly, George Square.
Buy tickets here.
Image by Michael Aiden, provided to The Student as press material.
