Clowning is really having a moment this Adelaide Fringe and OWEaDEBT is the perfect example of a clown-based show that is funny and thought-provoking, with more than a hint of darkness. Taking the story of Swan Lake as inspiration, Lauren Brady’s Odette is a chain-smoking, half-woman/ half-swan who is desperately seeking a handsome prince to break her curse so they can live happily ever after. Along the way, we are utterly sucked into a world where cigarette butts have names, pretty privilege is rewarded by bright, shiny stars, and making out with cattails is a perfectly acceptable use of our time. Brady hits a lot of hot topics, and she hits them all right on the nose. It’s a confronting show in a lot of ways: when Odette’s mother tells her she will be the most beautiful, Odette asks ‘What else?’, only for her mother to reply ‘What else is there?’. There’s a slow burn behind most of the humour too: when Odette practices her look of distress we laugh out loud, before pondering why she needs one in the first place. The audience participation is sweet and safe; bonus points (always) for a Bonnie Tyler break. This is a deeply layered show; there’s lots to laugh at, lots to ponder, and lots to rage at. Brady’s Odette is beautiful but, just like the swan, there’s so much more going on just beneath the surface if only we'd care to look.