Loneliness, unrequited love, friendship, shared adventures, searching want ads for a partner, innocence and unexpected answers are some of the themes played out in this red-nosed clown escapade, Fools For Love directed by Jan Henderson, at the Vancouver Fringe Festival.

Two neighboring clowns share their quest for love as they both hunt the personal ads in newspapers. Sometimes in the wrong section. “Looking for someone who can do heavy lifting!” says the enthusiastic Rocket, played by Adam Keefe. “That’s jobs!” returns the more pragmatic Sheshells, played by Christine Lesiak. They pause in the obituaries and pets before they return to the disappointing want ads. “No clowns!”

In the meantime, they hang out together, movies, picnicking, at the fairgrounds, sharing their newspapers, arguing over how each other closes the door, and avoiding Ninjas. Of course, love ensues, despite themselves. Their first obvious sign of attraction is over a Timbit (donut hole) argument that ends rather sensually stomach turning.

I enjoyed Lesiak and Keefe’s expressions of the different environments where they found themselves. I love how the body can reveal a location just by movement and mime….oh, and maybe some sounds, like the sticky movie floor!

The heart is a fragile entity and for these clowns to allow theirs to open to each other took some courage and persistence. Do they get there? You’ll have to see the show for that answer.

Fools For Love produced by Small Matters Productions plays at the Performance Works venue and there are 3 shows remaining – Tuesday (today) at 7:45pm, Saturday at 9:15pm, and Sunday at 5:55pm

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Written for the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance