Freidah Will See You Now Review by Scarlett Potter

Darkness. There is nothing but black and cold. From the depth of the Qtopia loading dock you can hear skittering, like the movements of a particularly sharp-clawed mouse. A grunt. Two grunts. The splashing of water before – pink! A river of colour illuminating the stage and our demise.

Unburied and under-financed the audience starts the show as souls doomed to walk the shore of Hell’s river Styx for eternity. That is, until the titular Freidah appears promising safe passage. Probably. Eventually? Well, whenever our boat of the damned is set to arrive, we have no choice but to wait.

So begins Freidah Will See You Now, the one-woman clown show by Naarm performer Caitlin Duff. Freidah delivers a truly hilarious evening with a performance that captures the very essence of Sydney’s weird and wonderful Fringe. Part improv, part crowd work and wholly captivating, Duff is a comedy dynamo creating a truly original clown persona ready to spookify your evening.

It’s not unusual for a clown show to deal with the absurd. In fact, it is almost wholly necessary. However, the utter ‘nothing’ occurring in Freidah is all in all rather unexpected. The performance takes place on a purgatory stage. There are no set changes, story arcs or extra characters. But you would be a fool to think you are thus in store for a boring night. Because what there is, is Freidah. Our saviour wreathed in an electric pink tutu, a fur coat ripped from your grandmother’s cupboard and nails to make Nosferatu squeamish.

The show’s lack of traditional story telling lends itself to a masterclass in absurdist literature. The minimal setting and soundtrack of echoing water drips capture an absurdist setting à la Samuel Beckett that perfectly balances Freidah’s intensity as a character. With quick-witted precision Duff manages to make even the most mundane of situations uproarious. Inviting the audience to participate in childlike ridiculousness.

Freidah Will See You Now is a cheeky middle finger to the powers that be. Celebrating gloriously nasty women. The strange and unusual performing against and in spite of the restrictions of a man’s world. She asks what a performer might become when given a world with nothing left to ‘after-live’ for.

Although the feminist undertones of the show are often played for laughs, they are nonetheless present and provide a bold undercurrent to the act. There is something compelling and powerful about being present at a show that consistently pokes fun at the men in question. Whether it’s Freidah wiping her wet toes on the pant legs of a male audience member, or telling Hades himself to ‘stick it’, our host is unmistakably and refreshingly for the girls.

But even being a woman in the crowd does not save you from Freidah’s attention. As the gallery we are integral to the show, asked to play along and play against. Foiling Freidah is fun of course, but perhaps what makes the show truly entertaining is seeing genuine joy and excitement on this strange creature’s face at the smallest of audience reactions. Duff coaxes forth the audience to connect with this character. To be genuinely present in the experience in a way that only heightens the hilarity of each act. Here, hell may be waiting in silence for a microwave to finish its 2 minute rotation, but salvation is Freidah’s unblinking, impossibly wide stare daring us to look away.

Freidah who aside from having an unmistakable penchant for comedic retorts, is captivating for the pure artistry on display. Duff performs physicality with an impressive strength and grace that brings this persona into vibrant clarity. Transforming herself through mannerism into an otherworldly figure. Freidah is certainly larger than life but, there is a groundedness to the performance that speaks to Duff’s talents beyond nonsense slapstick.

To be a clown is to invite vulnerability and a defiance of norms within your practice. During Duff’s performance there are no rules, except for the ones that Freidah deems necessary to toy with. As such no corner of the room is safe. Including the audience, their seats and, in some cases, their clothes. But still, the show cleverly manages to sidestep the line of requiring audience participation but never expecting anyone to engage against their will.

All though coaxed – no one audience member is ever forced to engage with Freidah’s more ridiculous antics. Even for the men who our host is so openly dismissive of – “the Styx hates trash!” – Duff instead holds such a strength in her portrayal that it inspires trust. No matter your response or action, you know that Freidah will catch you in her claws. Will craft a laugh out of your interaction. Indeed, Freidah asks us to freefall into a space void of nicety and expectation, then helps us to tear it all up.

Caitlin Duff’s show is one which encapsulates the very best of the Fringe. A true celebration of playfulness and the absurd. For those who may be unsure about the ‘artistry’ of clowning, Freidah Will See You Now is here to prove that it is alive and well and that while it may very make you cackle, it may also steal your shoes.

We might be in hell, but I for one am very glad it’s painted this shade of pink.

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Scarlett Potter attended Freidah Will See You Now at Qtopia Sydney on Wednesday 22 September. Freidah Will See You Now plays until Saturday 26 September.