Zuma Puma is an accomplished clown, who uses her skill to draw an audience in to a compelling narrative about what it is to experience shame as a woman. The negative inner critic is conveyed with menace; Puma shape-shifts between characters with skill and conviction.
Clowning, puppetry, mask and physical theatre collide in a powerful feminist narrative.
A range of characters are conveyed through costume, props and subtle changes in voice or gesture. Puma holds eye contact with audience members through various personas, creating discomfort, tension and relieving laughter, at different points during the narrative. The fourth wall is ripped down as Puma enters the audience and asks them to assist with props and to join her on the stage to assist in driving the narrative towards its compelling climax.
The sense of fun that Puma delivers through inhabiting the various characters within the show exudes a sense of mischief and drives the story towards a powerful and emotional climax. An intrinsic sense of menace is created in the most powerful scene, with sound and light effects depicting a traumatic event. Puma’s vulnerability in this scene draws the audience in to her personal journey towards healing.
Be prepared to experience an emotional roller coaster, from absurdity to poignancy, as one woman battles her inner critic into submission. Clowning, puppetry, mask and physical theatre collide in a powerful feminist narrative, as one woman navigates her way through the patriarchal brainwashing of what one is and permitted to do.
An entertaining, thought-provoking and energetic sense of fun will follow you out of the theatre. If you have a penchance for whimsical fun created by physical theatre, with a menacing undercurrent, be sure to catch this show.
