Twirly's Traveling Tricks

Tap dancing. Balloon animals. Unscheduled grapes. Twirly's Traveling Tricks is probably the last show I'll catch at this year's Fringe, and it was a great one to close out on. Benedict delivers a hilarious one-woman variety show in character as Twirly the itinerant undead clown, who is perfectly comfortable with tap numbers, singing, and other tricks, but struggles with more mundane tasks like coherent sentences or putting on shoes and hats. It's all delightfully surreal, and there's a bit of vulnerability in the performance that seems very on-brand for Fringe. If you get the opportunity to see her in the future, I'd definitely recommend.... full review

I was introduced to Twirly through her supporting role in Best Night Ever, and I was happy to discover she had her own program at Fringe. A delightful show of physical humor and skill, interwoven with a surprising twist of poignancy. ... full review

Dana Benedict has put together an incredible character with Twirly. Partly undead, partly a clown, partly a tap-dancer, Twirly is a twist on the classic clown idea that's absolutely wonderful. Wherever Twirly goes next, you should make sure you're there to see it. She's THAT good.... full review

Dana has created a truly original character; child-like, enthusiastic, and menacing in equal parts. She subverted clowning expectations and really engaged the audience in her intimate solo show. One gag, involving a pair of finicky shoes, had me in stitches.... full review

I was already familiar with Twirly the Clown: 45 minutes of Twirly the Clown. Which is really all I wanted, and that's exactly what was delivered. Pure, silly, sometimes manic, heart pleasing fun.... full review

This was a riotous romp through the mind of a clown who shares the general sensibilities of a kindergartener on a sugar high, and every second was a delight! ... full review

The show exceeded my expectations.... full review

Clowning is hard. Kind of impossible. We have all seen clowns that don't make us laugh. In fact most clowns don't make me laugh. Every once in a while you see a Bill Irwin or David Shiner. And then you remember how brilliant clowning can be....so that brings me to 'Twirly's Traveling Tricks'. How should I start. Well first let me say I am glad there were no words spoken in the play. Because the audience was laughing so hard we would have never heard them. When is the last time you saw a show where the audience cheered? And cheered and cheered. Twirly is hard to describe but imagine you go to a friends house and he has a 2 year old daughter that decides to put on a show. You humor your friend. The kid does a couple of cute tricks. You clap a... full review