Clown Heart

Adam Hills took the stage at London’s Hammersmith Apollo with his hair dyed red, white, and blue—the result of losing a bet to the British Paralympic team over medal counts. While the hair is loud, the show itself leans into Hills’ signature optimism. The central thesis is that a silly disposition, or a “clown heart,” is the best defense mechanism when life gets grim.

Hills applies this philosophy to heavy topics, discussing his father’s death from leukemia and his efforts to explain mortality to his young daughter. He also brings out Craig Coombes, an Australian fan diagnosed with terminal cancer who famously took nude photos to mock his diagnosis. Coombes’ appearance on stage, defying his doctor’s timeline by years, serves as the emotional peak of the evening. Critics noted that the scripted material occasionally drifted into familiar dad-comedy territory, like a bit about the awkwardness of spooning, but praised the warmth of the audience interactions, which included bringing a dominatrix on stage for an impromptu demonstration.