I was very lucky to see this show @ the San Francisco Fringe Festival…six times…Okay…I was the assigned tech for the show. But I still consider myself very lucky because I enjoyed every moment of this show. It was not only my favorite show to tech out of the four assigned to me, it was my favorite show of the fringe. The “Best Clown Show” award was well deserved and Noel was a joy to work with. So, join the party and meet the Captain. Enjoy the mini “Gone With the Wind”. And don’t forget your luggage! It’s nice to be nice!

As I started recommending this show to everyone I know, at first, I had difficulty describing it to people. Sure, there’s a red nose involved, but is it clown-like? Certainly not in the circus sense (thank goodness). A lot of the fun in this show comes from the performer’s (Noel Williams) proficiency in physical comedy coupled with perfectly crazy and turbulent facial expressions. At the same time, you quickly become engrossed in the show through the dialogue, from her dialogue with the audience and her dialogues with the objects on stage with her. Somehow you find yourself relating to her battles with turnstiles and luggage. Noel has a rough day in her show, and she makes her audience alternate between sympathy and outrageous laughter very effectively. All that, and the Gone with the Wind bit is ingeniously funny!

This show is the seventh show I’m cramming onto my top five list, and it’s one of the few shows I would try to see again this weekend, if I had time!

(She’s added another Saturday 3/8 performance at 5:30pm.)

“Party of One” features great clown work. But don’t worry, it’s not THAT kind of clown. There is no balloon twisting or stupid magic tricks. And it’s not for kids. This show is more in the European clown tradition in which the clown is used to free up a performer to reveal both joy and heartache. In fact, it may be best to think of this not so much as a clown show, but as a very physical one-person show. Noel Williams is delightful as she demonstrates her willingness to dive into things, both literally and figuratively. It’s rare to have the chance to see someone perform in this genre so well. I would recommend getting out to see on of her shows on Saturday. I hear she’s doing three shows that day which has to set some sort of record for endurance. One more thing - the price of admission is worth it just to see her act out her very entertaining synopsis of “Gone with the Wind,” which is part of the show.

Party ofone blew the collective mind of Dynamite Kablammo. Funny, touching, genuine, heartbreaking… Noelle delivers with superb physicality and top notch acting. Please catch this amazing performance.

I only wish my schedule had made it possible to see this show earlier in the week. I could have been raving it about it so much longer.

That said, I’m so glad I DID make time to see it. I had so much fun watching this show… and I was so heartbroken watching this show… and I was so taken aback watching this show… and I was so very touched watching this show…

What an incredibly talented performer, to be able to take an audience through all these twists and turns of the truth of being a ‘party of one’.

Bravo!