Review: From trapeze to tragedy, one-man play Buffoon makes for incredible theatre
The final performance of Buffoon is at Sheffield’s Playhouse theatre on July 18
“All life is algebra.”
That is one of the lessons of Buffoon, the mesmerising, frenetic and powerful play from Anosh Irani, which had its European premiere at Sheffield’s Playhouse Theatre and concludes there tonight (Saturday, July 18, 2026).
Expertly directed by Aisha Khan, Buffoon tells the story of Felix, as he goes from a young boy born to circus performers who fail to see him as life’s main attraction, and finds safety behind the chalked mask of a clown as he endures trauma, loss, failure and eventually, the complexities of love.
With staging stripped back to a chair, spotlight, sparing sound effects, and the immensely talented Daniel Weyman playing every part, Buffoon makes for an utterly extraordinary theatre experience that honestly makes most other productions pale into comparison.
Performed in the round, you can see the whites of Daniel’s eyes, the spatter from his speech, and the shedding of the chalk, as he effortlessly morphs from character to character, from accent to accent, as he blurs the lines from reality into childlike illusion and metaphor.
With a drop of a shoulder, a change in gait, or flare of the nostril, Daniel - known for playing Gandalf in Amazon Prime's The Lord of the Rings: The Ring of Power - utilises every tool of movement, mime and voice acting to ensure the audience are with him on every step of Felix’s journey.
Despite the pace at which the audience is taken through that journey, it really feels as though Daniel inhabits every character, and the results are astounding.
With the events of Felix’s life being recalled by an older, more sedate version of the character, whose mask seems to have well and truly slipped, warm and cold lights are used to convey childhood naivety versus a more stark and austere adult reality.
One of the joys of theatre is the sense of communality, as an audience gets to experience a well-crafted story and piece of art together.
Never has that been more true than with the captivating Buffoon.
Tonight’s performance in Sheffield is the final one for now, go and see it if you possibly can.
Visit https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk for more information.