If the title didn’t already tell you all you need to know, the eponymous Furiozo’s entrance should. He comes running onto the stage dressed as a boxer, screaming, with his name emblazoned across his chest. It’s the perfect introduction to this gun-toting, cocaine-fuelled clown: but does he have a heart, too?

Furiozo (real name Piotr Sikora) only speaks a handful of words during the hour yet relies heavily on roping in audience members to help him tell the story. In some cases, it takes some coaxing to get the audience to understand what he’s asking of them, but it’s testament to Sikora’s skill as a performer that he rolls with those punches even if things go in a slightly unexpected direction. The show is a wild ride, taking us on a journey of crime, police car chases and prison break-outs as this hardman discovers a softer side. But is true love enough to make him leave his hardman ways behind?

Even his interactions with the audience hint at a gentleness behind the tough exterior: he always asks for consent and tenderly hugs those who’ve gamely got up on stage to participate in this riotous tale. Furiozo has his audience in stitches throughout but the story also leaves us thinking about the impact of toxic masculinity and generational cycles of violence. It’s a fine line to walk between clown comedy and tragedy, but Sikora does it with consummate skill and swagger. 

This review was originally written in 2024 for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival; Furiozo: Man Looking For Trouble will be performed at The Courtyard Of Curiosities from Tuesday 11–Sunday 23 March, 9.50pm; main picture: Mattia Sedda.