Words: Rosie Hall
Image: Madalyn Rowell

4 stars

In Knight, Knight, American clown Madeleine Rowe has created an hour of pure, joyful silliness. We meet them as a knight, travelling through the forest with his noble hobby-horse steed, Hermes. Hermes is no mere steed. He is the love of the knight’s life. But the knight is destined to be king; and he and Hermes have done things together that no King should do.

The audience fleshes out the cast, becoming the stone from which the knight pulls the sword, his wife Guinevere, the Knights at the Round Table, and the spooky whispering magic forest. This audience interaction is seamlessly integrated into the show, with Rowe managing to crack even the most wary audience member with a pout and a glint in their eye. Their vocal characterisation stretches ludicrous Pythonian Medieval English vowels beyond recognition in a gravelly drawl, a wonderful choice which truly does only become funnier as the show goes on. This excellent character work and endearing charm becomes invaluable, keeping the audience engaged even where the plot elements lack a little inventiveness.

As well as a delightful hour of silly mayhem, Rowe uses their knight character to prod gender norms and roles. The king’s requirements for a wife? She must be very small, and very quiet. For his child? A boy child, who will be taught …swords. Even the night of the King’s wedding, where his duty is to conceive this very boy child, prompts a very fun bit of nervous to-ing and fro-ing. 

Knight, Knight is a wonderfully playful hour of adventures, brotherhood, magic and glittery chainmail. A worthy quest for any brave cavalier.

Knight, Knight
Underbelly George Square, The Wee Coo
19.20
30th Jul – 25th Aug