I came to a realisation tonight – I * think * I might be a groupie. After seeing Bad Clowns Comedy around 3 times along with their solo acts, this throuple, this bromance, continues to get better and better.

Not unlike the Cornetto series, these loveable rogues are friendly faces that you become accustomed to seeing, but each time, in a different and hilarious guise. While we are used to Sam, Christian and John, when they welcome us as one of them, josh with us and include us in the unscripted moments of fun, they still bring a new, fun and fresh approach to comedy, with new characters that still have that essence of them underneath.

On their final show of this year’s fringe, a packed house was full of an electric excitement, with genuine fans in the seats. This interactive performance invited the unexpected, with heckles and involvement that could have easily stumped a performer – not these lads. They took it, they ran with it and built on the naughty and the nuanced.

There is genuinely no point where you know what will happen next. Long Live the King! in a way, is what it says – it’s an age old tale of the line of succession but in true Bad Clowns style, with many a twist. However, the twists and turns, peppered with traditional slapstick (almost to the detriment of the Gilded Balloon Patter House’s ceiling), at times lewd and obvious jokes and (my favourite) a good ol corpsing moment when they try to fumble one another, it’s nothing short of surprising and genius. And again, in true Bad Clowns style, the ending is our choice – who will we want to be king? It’s all up for grabs and this trio are skilled enough to pivot off the potential change and the occasional heckle and surprise from us.

Bad Clowns: Long Live the King! is a laugh a minute, high energy feat in the comedy circuit. This group has only one way to go and that’s even further up!