Little Lark of London

“Is a clown a slot or is it a filler?”

Two Little Dickheads: Slot Fillers is a show created and performed by the clown duo of Sharnema Nougar and David Tieck, who have been performing together for years since first meeting in Australia. The show begins with Nougar and Tieck claiming that they are “not actually here” and that they are actually in another place, unable to come to Soho Theatre, which leads to them bringing on their understudies, two puppets made to look like them. After the two simulate sex with the puppet that looks like them, the bit is dropped and the puppets do not make any more appearances.

From the beginning, the performers declare that they “don’t do narrative anymore,” which is made clear through this show. Stories range from making a mock documentary on dik-diks with crocheted hats with penises on them to an incredibly long song about Nougar not wanting to have a baby, as well as a bizarre segment in which Nougar explains the concept of death to Tieck through old underwear, sacrificing a particularly gross pair to a portal and going through the stages of grief. The songs themselves have potential, with a funny contrast between the two performers. I particularly liked the parody of Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn” that was thrown into the song about having children previously mentioned.

There are quite a few technical issues throughout the show, including Nougar’s microphone frequently cutting in and out. I would have preferred for them to simply abandon the microphones as they could be heard in the small space without them, but the duo persist and never manage to get the issue fixed. With these issues, it was difficult to understand what both performers were saying at times, especially when they disappeared from view and were having conversations with one another behind a curtain as they prepared for the next scene. 

There is a frustrating tendency for the two performers to repeat bits even after messing them up, parroting the same lines back and forth to one another for what feels like ages before moving on to the next joke. This happening once or twice is certainly understandable, but it happens so many times that it just grows annoying. One joke that involves The Phantom of the Opera and a can of Fanta is pretty funny the first time, but then loses most of its funniness the second time and is completely unfunny by the third repeat. Much more could have been done with the show if they had simply let jokes run their course and then moved on to different bits. 

As a self-proclaimed introvert, I have a surprising tendency to enjoy audience participation, typically claiming a seat in the front row of shows when I am not reviewing. Unfortunately, the audience participation in Two Little Dickheads: Slot Fillers reaches uncomfortable levels of closeness, with Nougar and Tieck shoving puppets into audience member’s faces and, at a later point, throwing masks and capes into the audience and encouraging people to chug cans of Fanta and then burp into a microphone. It was one of the few shows where I was grateful for sitting a few rows back.

Ultimately, Two Little Dickheads: Slot Fillers is a clown show with some interesting parts that fail to come together to make a satisfying performance. There are some funny jokes, but they are drowned out by the repeated gags and uncomfortable audience participation. Had there been more unique bits and less repetition, it may have been a more appealing performance.

Two Little Dickheads: Slot Fillers ran on 12 July at Soho Theatre. More information on the show can be found here.