Kallo Collective
From: Finland, France and New Zealand, two males one female
Performer names are not listed and no program was provided for either show of this bubble bill.
By Stanley Allan Sherman
© copyright September 24, 2012
This is a very different and pleasantly odd collective of performers from various parts of the globe. These three clowns have giving and sharing personalities. Each clown has a very strong and uncommon character, which makes this piece work. Normally miming singing to recorded music usually does not fly in a professional show. This is its own unique type of theater the Kallo Collective has created. Each performer fully using there own strengths and it is loads of fun. Coming out lip sinking to music these true clown characters create a fun and wonderful time being right on the music and beat.
There is the handling of the props. Putting a rug out on the floor and trying to get the end of the rug not to curl up at the end. One performer try’s to tap it down several times throughout the show. Placing a simple folding table up we are in for an adventure. This company gets at least five hysterical minutes out of putting up this simple table. Another piece where one performer is setting something up his hand accidentally ends up on the female performers breast, which happens several times. Each time his hand does end up on her breast she does not react and sometimes gives this big smile. It is her smile and reaction that also gives killer laughs. Later in the show the same male performers pants are down and she gets down taking his crotch in with her eyes. The other male performer has a very strong but pleasant look and both male performers are overly kind.
They set up two chairs on each side of the stage. One goes and offers the other to sit down. Then the other gets up to have the other sit down. This is played out until one perform tricks the other and then runs to his seat breaking the funny engaging rhythm. One of the highlights is playing the mime piano and the other playing drums and percussion. They are right on the notes with the keys of the piano and hitting the drums and cymbals with the exact beat. These clowns are making everyone laugh. Will not tell you some of the great bits with this collective, as I do not want to spoil it. But they take some standard clown bits and put their own unique twists on them.
If you would like a lesson in one way to properly use recorded music this is one company to see. Not for the lip sinking, which is great but for everything else they do with the music. The music is never background music to fill in emotional lack in a piece but it is part of the piece. For the lucky ones that saw this bubble bill it was two great shows for the price of one. The bottom line, did the audience have a great time? Yes we had a great time!
Unfortunately this was their only show of the festival and they did not do their full show as they were on a double bill. Only criticism is they did not do a program and credit all the wonderful music they used. It is not right to use music and not credit it, even if you did all the music, we have no idea who created the music. Also a program we would know all the company members names. It was a great performance and show.
The New York Clown Theater Festival runs through Sept. 30th at the Brick Theater http://www.bricktheater.com