So you don’t really say no to the opportunity to watch a zombie clown show. Nonetheless, as I had long associated clowns with the likes of Stephen King monsters, and zombies with tasteless 80’s B-Horror, I was still unsure of what to expect when I arrived at the show.

Mullet, the star of Mullet’s Make-A-Play, performed at Theatre Passe Muraille, was (quite fortunately) unlike either extreme.

Clad in somber coloured clown attire, with a shock of surprisingly grey hair, some sort of green substance climbing down his white painted face, and a black nose (that fell off at one point during the show), Mullet clearly isn’t your typical clown.

The star of the show made his appearance while we were standing in line, shouting enthusiastic greetings to friends and probable strangers alike. He continued the antics as the audience was taking their seats even dancing a little bit for us.

His introduction and banter with the guests he invited on stage was witty and drew lots of laughs from the audience. The show features several guest performers peppered by Mullet’s various moods and monologues.

As the show description and program foreshadows, Mullet is quite emotionally complex, and faces a powerful emotional demon along with intense control issues.

The treatment of this complexity was seemed a little rough around the edges, and just the slightest bit under-developed. Yet there was a subtlety this rawness I enjoyed – it seemed to work within the larger framework of the performance.

Seeing the more sensitive side of a zombie clown was not something you really can prepare for. But Mullet and his cast are loveable and in spite of any bumps along the road, it definitely felt like everyone wanted to see him succeed and overcome his emotional issues.

Details

–    Mullet’s Make-A-Play is playing at the Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace (16 Ryerson Avenue).

–    It plays on the following dates at the following times:

Friday July 8: 7:30pm
Saturday July 9: 12:30pm
Sunday July 10: 11:00pm
Wednesday July 13: 6:00on
Thursday July 14: 8:45pm
Friday July 15: 4:30pm
Saturday July 16: 3:30pm

–    All individual Fringe tickets are $10 ($5 for FringeKids) at the door (cash only).

–    Tickets are available online at www.fringetoronto.com, by phone at   416-966-1062, in person at The Randolph Centre for the Arts, 736 Bathurst Street (Advance tickets are $11 – $10+$1 convenience fee)

–    Several money-saving passes are available if you plan to see at least 5 shows