Clownberry Theatre enchants adults and children alike with Tougher than the Train - an experience that explores the idea of being tough versus playful through the usage of audience interaction, clowning and circus skills. A Viking tries to prove the effectiveness of being tough and brave through many daring acts with a comedic twist, making it all about him. Meanwhile, his faithful frog companion wants to share the limelight so she can do her hula-hoop act.
an enchanting show for all ages
The dynamic duo of Elina Oittinen and Sigmund Fosli Lillefjæere has a good chemistry that shines as the show progresses. They are unafraid to explore the use of physical comedy for their respective characters, or experiment with both words and sounds that creatures may use if they could talk as the journey begins. A good instance was Ottinen's cute usage of frog sounds and the words she could use were 'hula hula', indicating her hula hoop act from the word go. She aptly displays a wide range of emotions with clarity, from when she's excited about potentially being part of the show, to demonstrating sadness and frustration using her body in ways that were mesmerizing to watch. Des she get the chance hula? You'll need to see the show on its tour to find out.
As for Sigmund Fosli Lillefjæere, he plays the Viking Sigurd with vibrancy and sass that brings joy to the character despite coming across as a buffoon when trying to make the show all about him. It is clear he loves playing against the stereotypical Viking character by making himself the clown, as he uses absurdist clowning techniques to make him look and sound braver than he really is, such as jumping over a matchbox like it was the tallest building in the world.
The only thing to suggest as a small tweak to this show is to cut down on the use of repetition a little. As a technique when used well for children's shows and comedy, it can be a really useful. However, when overused as it was here, the risk can be that the audience and children lose interest - especially when you have older children in the audience.
Apart from this suggested tweak, Tougher than the Train was an enchanting show for all ages with the right amount of pace, energy and comedy and would highly recommend it.
