Presented by Adelaide Festival Theatre
Reviewed 7th October 2017
This weekend OzAsia welcomes The Ongals, the South Korean comedy troupe spectacular we never knew we were missing. The Ongals consist of four men all sporting colourful, oversized baby’s clothes and bibs – literally wearing their childlike approach to circus and comedy on their sleeves. A large toy box lies centre stage, inciting curiosity as seats fill in the Space Theatre.
The Ongals communicate in broken language and emphatic gestures easily understood by any audience. Their unique blending of mime, slapstick humour, and circus magic appeals to the young and old alike.
One cast member coaxes the audience into making an acceptably ruckus applause before he allows the show to begin. When his friends join him, they open the toy box and examine a series of seemingly bland household objects: a paint roller, a rubber glove, a ladle, and a toilet seat among them. Yet The Ongals’ imagination transforms each item into a dazzling toy.
Their antics include eating a balloon animal for lunch, duelling over who is the best juggler, and slicing a Pocky stick in half with a whip. For their final act a new friend performs human beat-box while they juggle fluorescent clubs.
The Ongals are irresistibly funny and an excellent distraction on an otherwise lazy Saturday afternoon in Adelaide.
Reviewed by Nicola Woolford
Venue: Space Theatre
Season: 7-8th October 2017
Duration: 60 mins
Tickets: $19.00 – $29.00
Bookings: http://www.ozasiafestival.com.au/
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