Befrdfgth is an imaginative, ambitious spectacle based around Dr.Brown’s expertise as a silent clown. ‘Clown’ does seem to be the appropriate tag, too: favouring physical comedy, his communication of ideas and scenarios is impressively clear and concise. Without so much as a word uttered over the course of an hour – save for, perhaps, an incomprehensible prayer or two – Dr. Brown dives into whimsical waters, his audience unwittingly drenched in the process.
Befrdfgth is a show every bit as tense as it is hilarious. There’s the very real sense that anything could happen and, in all likelihood, it could somehow involve you, the unsuspecting punter. Dr.Brown sports a reckless disregard for boundaries and simply does as he sees fit – with his body, with his stage and with his audience. Befrdfgth is surreal, twisted and so difficult to define without spoiling its charm – suffice to say, all in all, it’s a wildly hysterical experience.
In spite of its success, it seems unlikely Befrdfgth will be back for yet another season here in Melbourne. If by chance it does return, though – speaking in particular to fans of silent-era cinema and the likes of Rowan Atkinson and Frank Woodley – Befrdfgth is not to be missed. Dr. Brown is an extraordinarily gifted physical performer and there’s every indication he’s well on his way to cracking serious superstardom.
