Triciclo Rojo have created a visually engaging and fun clown show that will have children and their parents laughing and admiring throughout
The show starts in a rather clunky manner, and you can hear the cast setting up before the curtain opens. It was not clear whether this was intentional, and if so, it was ineffective. However, once it gets going, the stunning design and fantastic set truly comes to life. The design by Mario Rosales, Alberto Perez and Natalia Cardenasis original and very clever. There is not a single prop without at least one surprising, ingenious, and often very funny use.
The physical routines set to music were the highlights of this show. Beautifully choreographed, the three performers move in perfect harmony in these sections, committing to a joint physicality which they all share, and you soon find yourself entranced by their actions. It is in these parts that the potential of this show as a top-quality piece of theatre for children and adults alike shines through. These sections could however be improved by a clearer exposition of the motives of the nomads. The whole show in fact suffers from this lack of clarity where the plot is concerned. It is not clear if the characters know each other or why they are intent on fixing their lighthouse at all, though the show’s blurb describes them as characters as ‘in search of happiness’.
This uncertainty surrounding the plot arises chiefly from the significantly weaker sections in which there is no absolute choreographed routine or set music and in which the energy levels plummet. These are the sections in which the three performers utter their few lines of actual speech, which is a curious mixture of nonsense and various languages, interspersed with particularly emphasised words in English. The use of English however, rather than clarifying the plot, somewhat pales in comparison to the much more skillful communication achieved through physical means in set pieces. The three are excellent clowns, and they would profit from exploiting their abilities much more.
Mexican company Triciclo Rojo have created a visually engaging and fun clown show that will have children and their parents laughing and admiring throughout, and the beautiful colourful scenery will entrance all who see it, particularly its youngest viewers.
