Classic clowning is joyfully brought to life at the Unicorn Theatre for Gary Owen’s Jeramee, Hartleby and Ooglemore. It’s interesting to see the piece in the same week that I finally caught Owen’s Iphigenia in Splott, his celebrated play that is enjoying a run at the National Theatre’s Temporary Space.

Whilst Iphigenia is a dense, fast-paced monologue filled with anger, pain, and a violent sadness, his collaboration with Tim Crouch at the Unicorn is perhaps the complete opposite. Instead of a tirade of words, we hear only the three words of the title – to denote happiness, anger, furious rage, and utter contentment.  A reminder that only the important words need to be employed to illustrate meaning.

We sit looking at a beach (it soon transpires that we are sitting in the ocean) garlanded with festoon lights. Over the course of 50 minutes we witness an afternoon of sunshine through the eyes of toddler-like Hartleby and Ooglemore, as they squabble for ownership of a towel, have a lollipop stolen by a pesky seagull, and endure the pain of losing a giant bouncy ball. Jeramee is the ‘adult’ of the threesome, employed to feed, clothe and put an end to squabbles. Lily Arnold’s costume design channels Wes Anderson – bold patterns and vintage shapes (including a hilarious woolen all-in-one swimsuit for the bearded Ooglemore) that evoke warmth and an offbeat sensibility.

Crouch directs the piece to be assured, calm, and simple. He is not worried about racing through things, not worried about pandering to instantaneous laughs. Instead, the production celebrates the clown, performed skillfully by Amalia Vitale, Fionn Gill, and Dorian Simpson. Smiles come from the simple joy of hitting the bouncy ball back to Ooglemore from our seats; laughs come from the performers rolling down the tilted beach and almost colliding with the children, who squeal in delight. The piece is focused on what it’s like to be a three, four or five year old – the entire world revolving around them and their closest companions. I wish I could be that age again to watch this show – I’m pretty sure I’d be thinking, ‘Yes – that is exactly how it feels when Dad tells me I have to share my towel with by brother’.  I would like to have seen certain sequences developed further. There seems to be the start of a more expansive physical comedy sequence involving getting stuck in a towel changing robe (a brilliant prop); and the final sequence set to Owen Crouch’s upbeat score could be a vibrantly uplifting choreographed dance.

The Unicorn staff enjoyed watching rehearsals so much that they’ve programmed two adult-only evening performances – with a band and a bar. Channel your three-year-old self, sit on your bottom and sunbathe with the charming Jeramee, Hartleby and Ooglemore!