The Passion of Mr. Cardboard ★★★

The Passion of Mr. Cardboard is a sweet clown show performed by the jovial Miles Calderon in the wee space that is The Wee Coo at Underbelly, George Square that utilizes a great deal of audience interaction.

But an inherent risk within that intimate set-up is that if the performer loses control of that audience, the show can veer off the tracks, and that is, alas, what happened at the performance this reviewer attended. Two young girls sat on the front row inches away from Calderon and disrupted him with endless, mocking giggles at inappropriate times, and their thoughtless father sitting between them did nothing to stop them. In fact, he seemed to be encouraging their bad behavior.

So, to that negligent father and his two rude, rambunctious hoydens: May the rest of your Fringe be filled with one-star shows, one after another.

It’s unfortunate that Mr. Cardboard is too sweet to have appropriately handled the situation in character, and though he did jokingly call one of the lasses a “sadist” near the end, one wishes that Calderon, who’s based in NYC, had pulled a Patti LuPone or Lawrence Fishburne and read them the riot act they richly deserved.

Cretinous trio aside, the show could do with a stronger structure, and more clarity. The title immediately calls Mel Gibson’s overwrought The Passion of the Christ to mind, and this story too is about wanting to get home to a magical place, in this case the Land of Cardboard, all while avoiding water as much as possible, because if he gets wet, he’ll die.

Somewhere in this allegorical mix are interesting questions about the search for happiness, present and future, but nothing yet lands firmly enough to make the impression it should. But there’s no question the talented Calderon will find it. Mr. Cardboard is an enticing creation, a character you can’t help but root for. Right now he just needs more focus. And better crowd control.