An existentialist absurd immersive clown show featuring some extensive audience interaction is always going to divide opinion. Whether this bothers actor and writer Simon Kane is difficult to tell. It’s fair to say however that his show Jonah Non Grata – a solo piece from 2004 now making its Fringe debut – is at the very least memorable. Whether that’s for the right reasons is for each audience member to decide.
Drawing from the biblical tale of Jonah, the show locks the crowd in through an interactive format based on Ian Livingstone’s choose-your-own-adventure classic City of Thieves, featuring audience readings. A series of vignettes mixed with recorded and live music range somewhere between intriguing, confusing, and comedically deadpan as Kane’s disturbing characters contrast his otherwise friendly presence. Any straightforward explanations are left to the foolhardy, while such audience interaction demands your undivided attention as the crowd shares a surreal and somewhat humorous experience together.
With steadfast conviction from Kane and one or two slightly hypnotic scenes, there is enough to evidence his skills when it comes to immersive and experimental theatre. There can be a fine line between boundary pushing and self indulgence, between inaccessibility and defying conventional expectation. Try it out if you’re looking for something unusual, but be ready for what you might be in for.
Jonah Non Grata, Assembly Rooms, until 24 Aug (not 18), 9.10pm