Seize her, the clown - a reflection of the nation's political theatrics

How do you gauge a show’s success?

Audience turnout?
Audience engagement?
Post-show happiness?
An audience so invested they know what dig is coming up next?
A performance that captures the entire stage space without a moment for your eyes to blink, lest you miss something amazing?

And more, I’m sure, since I’m no professional theatre critic. But if these were the criteria, Alistair Bennis’ show ticks all of these and way more than words can capture. 

As the show's title suggests, it was a clowning theatrical performance with a take on Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, keeping the country's contemporary politics at the heart of it all. 

The play centers on the story of a clown Marco and her troupe, commissioned by PSA (Pierre Shakes Association) to perform the Shakespeare classic. The journey of the troupe goes through discovering the unfair, harsh, but very real circumstances of power, authority, manipulation, and political games that exist in today’s day and age. 

Clowning, at the heart of it all, makes this a unique experience to watch. Not only does the play question, but also mocks the rule of power we live in today. Because isn’t THAT a joke? 

Handled delicately, but fearlessly and boldly, Bennis left out no political, economic, or entertainment controversy that we all have scrolled through recently. Provoking the audience to think along with laughter, he has touched upon the actions of the many ‘jokers’ that we live under the rule of, including our ‘habitat’ that was recently hurt due to humorous fragility. 

A special shout out to the performers, for their teamwork from the stage decor to timely improvisation skills. A moment I can never forget is when a dialogue delivered with passion, left a spit bubble on the upper lip of an actor, but her sheer professionalism turned it into a moment of laughter added, on top of the riot that the entire show, already was. 

The costumes deserve special appreciation, for the thoughtful and intricate details. From the long colonial costume socks to the fuschia pink tutus attached to classic Vans sneakers, the costumes were a juicy cherry on top of the satirical cake, that is Seize her, the clown. 

And I’ll leave you with the same words that I texted my friend at the end of the show, ‘This one, was not to be missed.’