Slips Inside by OKIDOK - MCC 2011

Oh, OKIDOK... I first saw these two tremendously gifted clowns six years ago or so, when they performed their show HAHAHA at the Tohu. While I may not remember too many details about the show itself, I definitely remember how I felt afterward: smitten. Absolutely smitten.

So when I saw that they would be back in Montreal for the festival, their show immediately went onto the list of 'must see' events.

I was not disappointed.

Slips Inside is a completely different show from HAHAHA. That may seem like a strange statement to make, but I can think of a few companies who basically create the same show over and over again. If I loved them before, their obvious abundance of creativity, skill, presence, and timing has only rooted them more deeply in the little Chapiteau in my heart.

Xavier Bouvier and Benoît Devos, who have worked together for 23 years, make up this hilarious duo. And believe me, they are laugh-out-loud funny. And while they do have a number of gags that are quite large and clownesque in the over-the-top sense of things (the karate moment, for example), the greatest testament to their skill lies in the more subtle and simple moments. Running gags, simple hand gestures, and whip fast integration of the unexpected outbursts of a live audience, the clowns of OKIDOK remind us that clown is indeed an art. And if you don't believe that clown is an art, it's probably because you've never seen OKIDOK.

I did find that the show started rather abruptly. This is something that I experienced more than once at the festival. It took a moment to find my footing in the Universe they were trying to create. And my one genuine criticism is that there were a few too many penis jokes for my taste. Though to be fair, they were never crude or gratuitous. They were more of the eight-year-old boy variety.

And while the show may have started abruptly, it had the most delicious non-end ending I have ever seen. The audience had started to leave, and many had already left, when  Benoît and Xavier came back on stage, still in character, to clean up. It was the live performance equivalent of a bonus reel during the credits of a major motion picture. The show was already good. But this knocked it out of the park.

It's very difficult to write about this show. Like anytime you try and tell a friend about a funny thing that happened to you, the story never does the experience justice. You just had to be there. So much of what makes this show great are small details, simple gestures, a shared look between the two clowns, or the tone of their voice.

Without question, Slips Inside was one of the best shows at the festival. But don't feel too badly if you missed it. This must-see Belgian duo will be back at the Tohu as of December 20th for a return run of HAHAHA. If that isn't advance warning, I don't know what is. So don't miss it!