A confusing, ‘fringey’ production of puerile, bathroom humour of buffoonery. This opening night production hurls boorish invective. Blasphemous reference to Catholics and Christians becomes insulting, which is neither funny nor insightful, as good comedy and clowning must be.
Nevertheless, Colonial Circus has every right to present the show as is. From the programme, various versions of Colonial Circus have performed not only at the Toronto Fringe but also at the Orlando, Newfoundland, Montreal and Edmonton Fringe Festivals. The show has also been performed at various comedy networks. Some reviews have called the show an example of protest art.
Good for them.
And?
That doesn’t mean I think it’s a worthwhile show to see. I have every right to share my thoughts as well.
The current production now onstage at the Aki Studio at the Daniels Spectrum reminds me of high schoolers who see how far they can push the buttons of the teacher before he/she snaps. Nothing amusing about having to tell high schoolers: “Now, that’s not nice etc. etc. etc.”
It’s pointless. It’s tiring.
That’s what this opening night performance of Colonial Circus became for me.
Shaking my head or SMH in this texting age. I’m disappointed in a show where I had hoped to learn something else.
From what I could glean, this production looks at the circus-like chaotic frenzy of white privilege. The audience is asked to consider what if the colonizers of Canada and North America might be clowns? This is nothing new either. I’m witness to clownish behaviour all the time from Canadian and American politicians and leaders on the televised news or through trustworthy online sources.
The programme describes BIPOC performers Shreya Parashar and Sachin Sharma as: “an ‘oddball duo’ blending clown, improv and classical dance into bold-bodily performances where laughter meets curiosity and the bizarre takes centre stage.”
I didn’t laugh at all. I agree with two things from the statement above. These performers are an oddball duo, and the bizarre takes centre stage.
For example, Parashar and Sharma enter, draped, wearing a blood red cape with a garish-looking white face and makeup that accentuates the eyes in a comically horrific manner. White Face! Let’s be honest here. If this were reversed and white artists wore black/brown faces today, there would be an uproar. And rightly so! Why are we to give a pass to this choice made?
This was the first checkmark that this production was not going to sit well with me.
The second checkmark where this production did not sit well with me was in utilizing a crucifix with a ‘puppet-like’ figure bound to it, wrapped in a pseudo-looking prophylactic, and used in a manner akin to what happened to Regan McNeill in The Exorcist.
The third checkmark where I completely lost any connection to the production was the use of the red fabric, and some audience members were invited up to the stage to participate as boat people.
Returning to the programme, the artists write how offstage they “carry the weight of this story [of white privilege] with us, seeing the world’s history through new, often painful lenses.”
This is where I let out a sigh of exasperation.
The other night, I went to see a terrific Soulpepper/Tria Theatre production of King Gilgamesh and the Man of the Wild. In this remarkable story, an Iraqi Muslim and an American Jew forge a bond of communication and friendship through a musical fusion of their two cultures, bridging the differences between them. There are moments of humour, poignancy, and sadness, all of which are enhanced by listening, hearing, and understanding the other person, which is of extreme importance. I left Gilgamesh invigorated, knowing that a theatre production can showcase moving away from a story of white privilege and focus on the human person.
Colonial Circus does the exact opposite. It doesn’t do anything to help bridge communication between cultures. The production doesn’t make me sit up, pay attention and listen to the insight that good comedy must provide. It’s boorish and blasphemous. It does absolutely nothing to bridge cultural differences. It’s protest art that doesn’t resonate with me. I couldn’t bring myself to applaud at the end; that’s how disappointed and frustrated I was.
Sigh.
Running time: approximately 55 minutes with no intermission.
Colonial Circus runs to September 28 at the Aki Studio in the Daniels Spectrum, 585 Dundas Street East, Toronto. For tickets: https://www.nativeearth.ca/
COLONIAL CIRCUS
Shreya Parashar – Creator/Writer/Performer
Sachin Sharma – Creator/Writer/Performer
Tushar Dalvi – Stage Manager
