What I liked
The pacing was really good, and I could’ve watched each “part” of the show (Mark in the crowd vs. the clown demons on the stage) for another hour each easily. He’s got a really good eye for picking out the people who aren’t comfortable and gently forcing them to participate, which takes a lot of skills both in clown and generally as a person. This feels like a show by clowns for clowns, and it’s so nice to see this kind of kinship between different artists who want to share and play with each other/the audience. Honestly, from concept to execution this show is really exceptional. As always, it’s so hard to pick a favorite show of Mark’s, but this show might be my favorite with how the less structured nature of it invites the clowns to do what they do best: play.
What I didn't like
More shows please! Also I think it would be funny to do like a 5 hour version of this show and reaaaaallly drag it out, but that seems like it would be a lot to ask of the performers.
My overall impression
If hell is anything like this show, sign me up. Mark is a really wonderful clown, and the nature of Welcome to Hell really showcases his talent in mining the audience, AND gives us an exciting peek into his skills with live direction. With a rotating and star-studded ensemble of clown demons that join him onstage to enact your deepest comedy nightmares, Mark’s joy and playfulness makes the craft look easy when it’s anything but easy. I will definitely be seeing this show again- it feels like a show you really can see 20 times and have a completely different experience each time.
