Adelaide Fringe 2026
Too Clowns
WARNING!
This is a very clowns show. Probably too clowns for most. It’s about loneliness and grief and cream pies to the face.
Previous work:
★★★★★ “A fearless artist... one of the great clowns of his generation” The Stage (UK)
“A delicate mixture of ‘what the f**k are we watching’, and ‘isn’t it great to be alive and here together” Theatre Travels (AU)
Winner of Most Outstanding Show Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2025
Winner of Best Comedy Adelaide Fringe 2025
Created with Olivia Jacobs
Presented by: Damien Warren-Smith
Damien is an award-winning writer, producer and performer of 'brilliantly stupid physical comedy' (Fest Mag). He has been teaming up with some of the greatest creatives on the planet to make theatre that is 'meticulously planned yet delightfully unpredictable' (Metro) for nearly a decade, picking up some pretty darn impressive accolades along the way. Damien studied pretending at Actors Centre Australia in Sydney, clowning at École Philippe Gaulier in Paris and corporeal mime at Atelier des Mimes in Berlin. His debut solo show Garry Starr Performs Everything was nominated for both Best Newcomer & The Golden Gibbo at the 2018 Melbourne International Comedy Festival as well as a string of UK awards. His follow-up show Greece Lightning picked up top awards in Adelaide, Sydney, Gothenburg and Manchester. His third show Classic Penguins has already swept the Australian festival circuit including the coveted Most Outstanding Show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. It then went on to play the 700 seat Garrick Theatre in London’s West End. The basis for Damien’s performance work is to use playfulness to tell stories in a more engaging and impactful way. Inspired by master clown Phillipe Gaulier, the pleasure of entertaining through simple, beautiful idiocy forms the foundations of his work.Suitability & warnings
Content rating:
MA15+
Accessibility
- High visual content
- Audience members have the opportunity to interact or join artist on stage
- Suitable for audiences who may not have a comprehensive understanding of the English language
Presenter
Presented by: Damien Warren-Smith
Damien is an award-winning writer, producer and performer of 'brilliantly stupid physical comedy' (Fest Mag). He has been teaming up with some of the greatest creatives on the planet to make theatre that is 'meticulously planned yet delightfully unpredictable' (Metro) for nearly a decade, picking up some pretty darn impressive accolades along the way. Damien studied pretending at Actors Centre Australia in Sydney, clowning at École Philippe Gaulier in Paris and corporeal mime at Atelier des Mimes in Berlin. His debut solo show Garry Starr Performs Everything was nominated for both Best Newcomer & The Golden Gibbo at the 2018 Melbourne International Comedy Festival as well as a string of UK awards. His follow-up show Greece Lightning picked up top awards in Adelaide, Sydney, Gothenburg and Manchester. His third show Classic Penguins has already swept the Australian festival circuit including the coveted Most Outstanding Show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. It then went on to play the 700 seat Garrick Theatre in London’s West End. The basis for Damien’s performance work is to use playfulness to tell stories in a more engaging and impactful way. Inspired by master clown Phillipe Gaulier, the pleasure of entertaining through simple, beautiful idiocy forms the foundations of his work.
