There are multiple books, treatises, memoirs, Scorsese films, and documentaries analysing comedy and the comedian’s peril. However, one doesn’t need to decipher why we laugh at a clown spinning in circles, having their drink hit from their hand by an overeager youth in the audience, or putting her friend’s head through a painting. We simply do. Several of these automatic limbic reactions are present in Masterpiece, the debut work of Australian clown duo Rae Colquhoun-Fairweather and Will Bartolo. Otherwise known as raeandwill, the duo borrows meticulously from their spiritual antecedents, like Jacques Tati and Rowan Atkinson, as their art installer characters attempt to hang a canvas painting on a wall for an hour. This challenging undertaking is scored live by James Tarbotton, donning white tie at a grand piano, and looking very bored. Several questionable works of art line the walls of the State Library’s Hetzel Room, with insightful titles like ‘Lssdmvg Moo’ and ‘Suc Jjjwuquqq’. There is a veiled critique of contemporary art hidden in the show’s wholesome glee, which makes you wish this show was set in the Art Gallery. However, clown shows are always about the gags, and thankfully, there are many – expected and unexpected. The sheer energy of Colquhoun-Fairweather and Bartolo is palpable throughout the show. Bartolo’s suitably rubber face and uncompromising physicality serves him well for the passionate emotional changes his clown faces and ensures we can’t stop watching. Colquhoun-Fairweather is the magnetic heart of the piece, generously engaging with audience members, and delighting us with unexpected turns. Raeandwill have both studied at the Ecole Phillipe Gaulier in Paris and their technique and command of the stage is undeniable. Masterpiece is pure, classical clown, that is refreshingly wholesome and family friendly. It may not reach for incisive political commentary, nor revolutionise the theatre, but it hits you with a gut-level belly laugh that’s always welcome at the Adelaide Fringe.