Combining Shakespearian diction with slapstick comedy à la Three Stooges, Four Clowns’ production of “Hamlet” offers a unique take of the Bard’s tragedy. Under the direction of CSULB alumni Turner Munch the seriocomic spoof has clowns playing the main roles.
An internationally touring troupe, Four Clowns was founded by Artistic Director and 2010 CSULB alumnus Jeremy Aluma and aims to explore and expand physical comedy and clowning techniques.
Many of the company’s actors and directors met at CSULB in classes taught by former theatre professor Orlando Pabotoy as well as in The Clown School in Los Angeles.
Among the things to praise the play for is the way the characters engage the audience by interacting with them from the very start. Joe DeSoto, who plays the Ghost and Laertes, gives a hysterical performance, getting close to the audience with his mime act. There is also a fair amount of pantomime, meaning that the characters express their emotions and thoughts through physical comedy.
CSULB alumnus Andrew Eiden also gives a stirring performance as the hero Hamlet along with Tyler Bremer and Dave Honigman—also CSULB alumni—who play Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, respectively. The give their own spin to the roles by acting exclusively like clowns and dumb henchmen.
The play has a low-budget aesthetic, making use of simple but practical effects and costumes. A fusion of noble attire, with clothing you would find in the 1920’s, adds a whimsical charm to the play.
The downside is that some of the jokes felt forced and hammed. Many of the jokes rely heavily on running gags. When they work, they really work, but others become slightly annoying and fall flat to the sound of crickets. While it might be funny to hear a line repeated three or four times, it gets a bit stale after the 10th or 15th time.
For example, the scene where Hamlet asks Guildenstern and Rosencrantz why they came to him is treated like a literal interrogation straight out of an American noir with a moving overhead lamp, dark room, to even the good cop/bad cop angle with Hamlet and Horatio.
Normally this would be a goldmine of comedic possibility to further reference the classic detective films, but all that happens is having them repeat the same question and answer over, and over, and over, and over, and over… expecting the audience to keep laughing.
Overall, Four Clowns delivers a fresh take on a classic with enough gags and punch lines to make it worthwhile.
Shows run every Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. through Oct. 10 at the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles.