Why would a fish want to become a human? Funmi, a clown from New York, makes being a fish look the most fun it’s possible to have… but become a human she must. So Funmi relies on her audience to teach her how to walk and to talk, and – most daunting of all – to overcome the existential angst of being a human, to make the transformation all worthwhile.

Resplendently clad in scales, Funmi has the audience giggling almost before the lights go up. If the simplest description of a clown is someone who can make you laugh with just their face and body, then she is without doubt a fabulous clown. She has the audience onside immediately. With a look and a gesture, she has people eating out the palm of her hand (or rather, feeding her fish food and blowing bubbles).

It was a high-energy start to the show, until she pulled the plug and humanity beckoned. Flopping around the floor in her flesh suit, she had to learn from scratch how to be person. Some of these sections were fantastic; her mimicry of the front row as they giggled and shifted in their seats under her quizzical stares was wonderful, and at times it felt that the audience were her puppets, completely at her beck and call.

There were certain segments, however, where the audience didn’t seem to quite grasp what they were required to do or perhaps felt a little uncomfortable with it; here the show lost a bit of impetus, if not humour. It meant the change of pace at the end felt like it arrived too suddenly – which was a shame, as it was very moving: allowing us time to think about what it is that makes being a human bearable, pulling together those themes of fun and helping each other out.

Being a fish still looks great, but spending time in the company of Funmi makes humanity worthwhile. A very funny clown indeed.