Geoff Sobelle’s Clown Show, commissioned for the Edinburgh International Festival’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence, uses an unruly troupe of clowns to explore American identity. The review finds its early comic routines uneven but sees the production develop from playful Americana into a darker, more nihilistic vision of individualism, violence and national decline.

The performers appear in traditional clown costumes amid a weathered circus setting, using musical sketches, visual gags and audience interaction. A Wild West sequence becomes a turning point when slapstick gunplay escalates, while later images include a human cannonball, environmental danger, a song about liberty and ICE agents. The show runs at Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre until 30 August.