Trust me: you could willingly watch paint dry with this giraffe for a long time
You might have to see the show to believe this, but I could willingly watch paint dry with this giraffe for a long time.
Young clown genius Keaton Guimarães-Tolley debuted his solo clown show Francisco de Nata this year at the Edinburgh Fringe, and it’s probably safe to say that he’ll soon be going places – definitely not to the zoo but definitely to a stage near you.
Over the course of this hour-long playdate, Francisco’s task is simple: paint the ceiling. Yet, it’s not long before Francisco lets his heart-melting curiosity of the world and other people take over. What starts as a rote task becomes one of the most meaningful exercises in participatory theatre and audience interaction. In a way only a highly skilled performer and clown can do, Francisco tickles awake a dormant sense of play in his audience from the moment the show begins.
There’s something unique about this giraffe, though. He doesn’t push his audience or dupe them into participating as some clowns do. He certainly doesn’t make you feel outsmarted or that you’re missing something that only he knows. Francisco levels himself to you (as best a giraffe can) with a heart that’s so open (and flirty), it’s very difficult not to utterly fall in love with him. I (and probably anyone in the audience the night I saw the show) would get up and dance with this giraffe any day.
If you weren’t lucky enough to see the show, perhaps you spotted a very tall, G-strung giraffe sweetly pecking people and posing for pictures in the Underbelly fairgrounds. There were even moments when he was (wordlessly) directing traffic. That’s where I met him and learned about his show. And, boy, am I glad I decided to stop for this giraffe. Here’s to keeping our eyes peeled for our long-necked friend next year.
Francisco de Nata was a part of the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and played until 24 August. More info here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/francisco-de-nata