On sight alone, Red B*****d is a terrifying creation. The dream – or perhaps nightmare – of American clown Eric Davis, Red B*****d’s grotesquely inflated figure, beady eyes and exaggerated movements put the audience into immediate suspense.

When he opened the show by aggressively running around Komedia in search of a victim, high-pitched squeals of nervous laughter bubbled above the stamping of feet as the intended fled, which set the tone for a show that melds fear with unpredictable japes, physical comedy and well-intended morality.

The underlying theme is self-empowerment, but whether pulling faces at strangers is an outward sign of freedom or mental instability is a matter of opinion.

Davis’s control of the crowd is carefully polished but the forced audience participation definitely goes down better with the people who would happily lindy-hop on a chair without his dares or encouragement.

Apparently people have been inspired to make life-changing telephone calls during his show, but nothing that dramatic happened in the performance I saw, hampered both by the abject refusal of selected audience members and Komedia’s lack of phone signal.

The intentions were good and the delivery excellent but perhaps this show works better on American soil.