Clowning, comedy and storytelling are deftly woven into a tragicomic tapestry, unravelling the life of aged clown, Scaramouche Jones. Justin Butcher’s script is witty and wonderfully rich in Dickensian artifice, while Fringe stalwart (and one third of the legendary Penny Dreadfuls) Thom Tuck is outstanding, bringing a compelling humanity to his performance. The juxtaposition of the horrors Jones witnesses in his life as an outcast through the 20th Century with the comedic elements and physical comedy would, in lesser hands, be jarring. Tuck, however, perfectly balances the tragedy and the comedy. He plans to revive this play every ten years – this is the third iteration – and I look forward to watching it again, in a decade.

Hoots @ Potterrow, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Andy Leask]