Good old-school clowning which brings the audience back to a time in their life dominated by imagination and simplicity.
In fact, this simplicity, the venue and what appeared to be a Georgian family running most of the show create a very intimate setting, from which the show benefits. It is as if the audience is presented with a group of Fellinian clowns in someone’s living room and by the end of the performance one is almost sad to leave.
The sense of humour is simple and sometimes almost offensive, bordering on forms of homophobia and misogyny. But then clowns refer to types and even if in this case, these appeared to be stereotypes. One can only hope that the company will revisit some of their choices.
The four-strong ensemble, plus a child who mimes playing the violin as the audience walks in, is expert at interacting with the audience, in a lovely funny yet not threatening way. Funnily, sometimes they keep winking and flirting with members of the audience even from the stage, while engrossed in their fictional world.
Paper Rain is an unrefined show rather far from a professional production’s standards. But it is good old-school clowning which brings the audience back to a time in their life dominated by imagination and simplicity. Besides, the cast seems to truly enjoy themselves, and this inevitably transmits to the audience, who were in stitches throughout most of the performance.
