Clowns of the circus variety exist to keep children entertained while set changes for the other acts are taking place. They employ physical comedy and audience interaction to do so, and the laughs are generally based on the clown making himself or others look foolish. Michael Kennard (of local cult fave ‘horror clowns’ Mump and Smoot)’s clowns are not that kind that would be appropriate at the circus.
The Hollow is a bizarre look at the effects of war upon two enemy families. The first group is the Lebarians, who look very much like the typical image of a clown-red nose, white face, and colourful costumes. These clowns are in control of The Hollow-a subterranean cave, created beautifully by using wooden blocks, draped fabric, and spooky lighting effects. The other group is the Rabiccanno, a creepy, deformed troupe of Bouffon (a French physical comedy style that is akin to clowning). The Rabiccano are the victims of the war, and their costumes simply yet effectively create tumours, amputations, and in one case, an enormously exaggerated phallus, by using clever stuffing techniques.
Visually, the play is quite interesting, but it ultimately falls flat in other ways. The storyline of a drawn-out war with no real end in sight is resonant in light of current global conflicts, but with clowns playing the leading roles it is difficult to really relate to the characters and truly engage with the story. Also, the performance was marred by many small technical problems (poorly cued sound effects and botched entrances) that disrupted the flow of the story and made it difficult to focus on the progression of the play.
The play was most entertaining when the clowns and Bouffon made use of other areas of the theatre-for example, when a Rabiccanno made a dash for the emergency exit and had to be chased out into the lobby by a Lebarian guard. Audience members who happened to be sitting in the front row were drawn into the play as well, including one gentleman who was essentially dry-humped by the “Rabiccanno Mama,” and a woman who was thrown into the dungeon for trying to help the Rabiccanno escape.
The play followed a constant pattern: the clowns would talk about the war until someone thought of an excuse to let the Rabiccanno detainees out of the dungeon. Then, the Rabbiccanno would sing, dance, and perform acts of contortion with mounting energy until they reached the point of lewdness and had to be locked away again.
If you’re afraid of clowns already, this play will only reinforce that fear. From seeing a clown cheerfully cleaning up blood left by a tortured prisoner, to seeing two Bouffon engage in mock sexual acts with each other, there’s plenty in this production to give you the willies. Unfortunately, there’s not whole a lot else. The story is dull, the songs are painful, and the jester narrator (played by Michaela Washburn) speaks in rhymes that are incredibly uninventive. In the end, The Hollow left me thinking that there’s a reason that clowns are usually employed to fill time between more impressive acts.
