LCT Fringe Review: Big Brother Meets Bozo in Fringe’s Dark Delight, Bubblegum

A review by Shawn Maus for the League of Cincinnati Theatres at Cincinnati Fringe Festival 2025

Welcome to the post-apocalyptic playpen of Bubblegum—a dark, disjointed descent into a children's TV show gone gloriously wrong. Imagine if Sesame Street had been filmed in Chernobyl and directed by George Orwell. That’s the wild, eccentric terrain this show dares to explore.

This is what Fringe was made for. Weird. Bold. Risky. And absolutely not for kids. The opening skit is a racy, raucous bit of sex education.

Bubblegum is a “children’s” program for the broken-hearted and brainwashed. Anchored by writer-performer Daniela Nenova as Bubblegum herself—a radioactive Bozo the Clown with a sharp tongue and a broken soul—the show is a chaotic collage of sketches, songs, and satire. Think “20 Things To Do With Gum” meets Ministry of Truth.

Bubblegum is for anyone who loves their theater messy, mischievous, and meaningfully mad.

Nenova is a joy to watch, brilliantly balancing buoyancy, sarcasm, and something haunting just beneath the surface. Her commitment to this warped host with a heart was the emotional glue holding the bubble together.

The props and visual gags—ingenious. The design screamed Fringe: inventive, gritty, and packed with charm. From absurd puppets to sinister red lights, the show had a DIY dystopia vibe that worked well with its themes.

That said, Bubblegum struggled with coherence. Director E. Carr’s vision seemed split between moments of genius and murky transitions. The red censor light—eventually revealed as the network’s shutdown trigger—was a good concept but poorly telegraphed. The ending, abrupt and unsettling, left the audience frozen for nearly a full minute before anyone clapped.

It needed stronger connective tissue between scenes and a deeper dive into the show's themes. As it stands, the play felt more like a series of inspired but loosely tied sketches than a cohesive narrative. A clearer directorial hand and script analysis might have tied these imaginative threads into something more impactful.

Still, I’d recommend Bubblegum for anyone who loves their theater messy, mischievous, and meaningfully mad.

Shawn Says: "Like a piece of gum—bright, sticky, and fun—but it lost flavor before the finish."

Tickets:

General Admission – $20

Buy Tickets at cincyfringe.com/bubblegum