I’ve watched comedy shows before, but nothing has ever compared to what ‘CHOOSH’ had to offer. A story about a migrant clown was certainly not what I was expecting but from the moment I sat down I was entertained, and I could never predict what was going to happen next.
Spitted water as tears, a whole lot of fake snow, a dog made of a hand (which was attached to a body and violently ‘detached’ at different points in the show) are just some of the unimaginable things that Masli makes a ridiculous reality on stage. The show was odd and unexpected and absurd. Some parts of it felt like a fever dream, like when Masli’s individual legs got married, which sound strange to write down but was even more crazy to watch. Within the chaos, Masli masterfully controls the audience, drawing out laughter with just her hilarious, dopey grin.
There were moments when I felt that the show could have been tighter, for example the repetitive throwing of props that Masli wanted audience members to return. I also wish the story of migration was more prominent during the show, as it added a layer of sincerity underneath the physical comedy.
Her presence on stage is undeniable and her ability to incorporate audience participation into the comedy through improv made the show 10x times funnier. One of the audience members became Masli’s mother, another the subject of many piles of snow. She seemed delighted to have the audience join in, for example when she was looking for a job and asking the audience members what they do, and Masli never reacted in a way we expect. Instead, she swung to the utterly ridiculous: and she made us laugh.
I’d never seen a clown that didn’t have a big fluffy wig, massive shoes and a red nose. But Masli was nothing like this. She was goofy and weird. But what felt weird at the start, felt joyous by the end. The nonsense that Masli crafted on stage made people so happy- they couldn’t stop laughing. And underneath all of the silliness, was little kernels of truth about the struggles faced by many migrants, like homelessness, finding work and attempting to keep it.
Read our interview with Julia here.
For tickets and more information, visit edfringe.com
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