Review: MAL

by Patrick Langston, Ottawa Citizen
June 22, 2010

Being a clown is no laughing matter. Just ask Rachelle Elie, who you may remember from her terrific clown show Joe: The Perfect Man that played the Ottawa Fringe in 2008. This time, Elie dips into past shows to recreate some of her red-nosed characters and, in the process, take us on her journey to becoming the pro she now is.

Elie is a very funny performer, but we learn her hilarity has been hard-won: you try doing three clown shows a day for birthday brats or getting lambasted by every reviewer in town. And make no mistake: a clown’s soul is always on display; that bright red nose, as she says at one point, is the « smallest mask in the world. »

Elie wasn’t entirely on her game Monday night, muffing lines several times, and MAL isn’t as coherent a show as was Joe: The Perfect Man. But it’s still a treat.

At Mercury Lounge until June 27.