“The Clumsy Custard Horror Show” was just a high school play with a ludicrous and simple script. The ISU Theater production promised to take that script to the next level by combining this childish play with the Commedia Del’Arte, a form of French and Italian comedic acting that combines improv and physical comedy to create something sublime and satirical.

Unfortunately, the end result was more of an inside joke for the cast and crew as well as their friends in the audience. There was little for the casual observer to distinguish this play from how it was always meant to be performed with the exception of a few stylized lines.

It was all spectacle with little substance. There was more mugging and preening per minute of “Clumsy Custard” than there was in “Ace Ventura Pet Detective” and Bill Cosby’s “Leonard Pt. 6” combined. If they gave Tony awards for the relentless ability to act like out-of-control human cartoons, this cast would have it in the bag.

It was cute for everyone personally acquainted with Drew Hennebeck, Willy Thompson, Joe Spina and Michael Dahlstrom to see them pull out the stops the entire time they were on stage. They are all good comedians who know how to work an audience — and work it they did. More often than not, the audience laughed at everything they were supposed to.

But the cast revealed all their cards within the first five minutes, leaving few surprises for the rest of the show. Every character started their performance on 10, leaving no room to build.

Kelly Bartlett and Matt Kawa were disturbing and professional as the Ice Cream Clones as they moved together as one throughout the play. It was during their more heavily choreographed moments that the play came as close as it could to breaking the bonds of high school drama.

Director David Byrd did wonders with his limited budget. Overall, the set and costumes were much more elaborate than one might expect for a few sawbucks. The actors were obviously willing to kill themselves to make this boat float. They did as much as they could with the material at hand.

When you start with a bad play, more times than not, you are going to end up with a bad play. You can dress “Clumsy Custard” up as much as you want, but you still can’t take it out for a night on the town.

There is no doubt that children would have loved “Clumsy Custard,” but the college audience should need a little more to go on than all this sugar. Plays at Fisher theater should have more meat and potatoes about them.

Why a high school play? Do a play about heroin addiction, incest, the Holocaust, Jenny’s first abortion, dramatize a short story, do a musical version of “30 Something” … anything. Good plays are out there and they are not in high school drama catalogs.

Byrd should keep at it, though. He is a talented director who is willing to work hard to bring a vision to life. Hopefully, the next time he directs a play he will set his sights a little higher than “Clumsy Custard.”