Orlando Fringe 2025
Joshua’s Witnesses
Joshua Bonnici
Genre: Absurd Theatre, Clown, Comedic, One Person Show, Performance Art, Physical Comedy
Venue: Brown Venue
Festival: Orlando Fringe
Low Down
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
A clown with a message.
Review
Joshua’s Witnesses is a blasphemous clown show wherein the audience decides if Brother Joshua has violated the rules of the Jehovah Witnesses. Brother Joshua is a masturbator, questioner, and overall ‘a bit too much’ by church standards. The audience at the end decides whether Joshua should be exiled. Joshua’s Witnesses is one of four clowning shows from Canada touring together at this year’s festival which also include 1-Man No-Show, Poems for God, and Winning-Winning. I’m pleased to report that every piece is worth seeing. While Joshua’s Witnesses is the most serious and least absurd of the Canadian clowns I’ve seen at this festival, it still has plenty of moments of jaw-dropping hilarity.
Performer Joshua Bonnici has a dry comedy charm that is moist with sweat. A giant door attached to Bonnici’s back is a phenomenal set-piece (and marketing tool) that fits both dramaturgically and presents endless clowning opportunities. The strip tease to “Hit Me Baby One More Time” is a particularly stand-out moment. As a good clown show should, no matter how absurd the show grows or its bits become, it transforms into gripping theatre. Some jokes and segments are stronger than others, and I would, at times, have liked to see even deeper absurdity in Bonnici’s clowning.
Joshua has a deep meaning behind his clowning. Without spoiling the reveal of the show, there is a method to the madness. The show is a damnation of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ teaching and how the religion has hurt and strained families. The deeper reveal of the show, while powerful, does come suddenly. I wish Joshua had placed more early hints throughout, as the moment the reveal comes, it feels sudden and out of place. It is vitally important storytelling. Joshua’s Witnesses just needs more clarity and focus earlier to land its final punch. Even still, there are few theatre shows as daring and unapologetic against religion as this show. You all should become witnesses to this madness.
