We humans say some perplexing things to convey happiness, don't we? I'm on top of the world, happy as a clam, happy as Larry. Who is Larry anyway?

There's no 'Larry' in this production. Who you might think is Larry as we walk into the theatre is a man is drawing on an oblong blackboard that dominates the stage.

Silent he repeatedly etched a shape to create a pattern that resembled chalk knitting. By writing one word he silenced the audience and, as he faintly stroked the pattern on the blackboard, I felt a hand ran over my back as it dawned on me that the shapes on the blackboard were we, the audience.

A cleverly illustrated series of cues on the blackboard followed, laughter created a feeling of effervesce in the room and the show begun.

Happy as Larry's premise is to explore happiness with the Enneagram, a nine-pointed model of personality that includes the Optimist, the Seducer, the Boss, the Mediator, the Perfectionist, the Tragic Romantic, the Advocate, the Observer and the Devil's Advocate.

Director Sean Parker has gathered a dolly mixture of dancers to explore these personality types, each of them distinct in terms of age, appearance and skill. One by one we meet them and, dressed in crayon coloured clothes they toy with us and play amongst themselves under a canopy of primary coloured balloons.

Throughout, Parker conflates ideas and values associated with certain personality types and the dancers play them out. Between them they  create a harmonious and delightful blend of ballet, break dancing, aerobics and gymnastics, flip flops, roller-skating and drawing. As they  perform independently or as a troupe they drop sugar smiles, fizz and cackle and you want to join in their playfulness. The fun was punctuated by moments of sublime beauty and tenderness, each a joy to experience.

There wasn't a layer of intellectual gauze about this production to pick my way through, yet that's not to say it didn't make me think deeply  about the issue it is addressing.

Happiness is our most singular human pursuit and a question often asked is do we know how to be happy anymore as we clutter and muddle our lives with the things that don't really matter? It's absurd to think that we can happy all the time, without the lows how can you ever recognise the
highs? So as we continue our quest a show like this throws colour onto the confusion and asks us to celebrate our differences, enjoy some of
the small things and think about what we plan to do with this wild and precious life.

Review: Lola the Festival Blogger