Review: Julia Masli: CHOOSH!

In her debut solo show at the Fringe, Estonian-born clown comedian Julia Masli takes the audience on an absurd journey from an Eastern European village to America in search of a hot dog. But make no mistake, this Choosh – Russian slang for bullshit – is nonsense of the best kind.

Making good use of her own face and body, down to her fingers and toes, Masli tells the story of a hungry immigrant chasing the American dream whilst leaving her dog – aka her ‘amputated’ hand – to be looked after by a member of the audience. It’s all as surreal as it sounds, yet the narrative is surprisingly easy to follow, thanks to audio, props and Masli’s creative tomfoolery. Great comic timing and ridiculous costumes also makes it very funny. In a nod to her previous show, Legs, which she performed with The Duncan Brothers, she gives her lower limbs a star turn that goes down well.

Tonight, she has to work hard at times to get the audience involved, and when she does, it pays off. There’s no doubt that this clown controls the room. Taking a no-nonsense approach to nonsense, Masli’s carefully crafted hour is charming, unpredictable and uplifting.