Circus Incognitus
Concert Chamber - Town Hall, THE EDGE, Auckland
28/07/2011 - 30/07/2011
Production Details
AN UNFORGETTABLE ONE-MAN CIRCUS COMEDY
Roll up One and All for perfect School Holiday fun!
Juggling, circus routines, acrobatic feats and laughs galore are waiting for you at Circus Incognitus this July, when internationally acclaimed clown, Jamie Adkins comes to New Zealand with his much loved one-man circus comedy.
“Amazing combination of artistry and drama, a performance out of the ordinary, it’s a pulsating and poetic show which delighted young and old” Amtsavis, Denmark.
The TIME OUT THEATRE programme at THE EDGE is excited to bring you this shy clown who needs the audience’s help to face his biggest fear; speaking in public. Circus Incognitus will take audiences on an unforgettable journey to find the courage to try new things, not give up when all goes wrong, but most of all be amazed; because you never know what you can achieve until you try.
Using skills he has honed in over 20 years of street theatre and circus performance, this international performer will charm, dazzle and enchant in his solo show hailed as "…an hour of pure delight…" by The Herald Tribune. And with over 500 performances of Circus Incognitus under his belt, this is a man who has perfected his craft.
Using everyday objects Adkins builds his set from discarded props while performing unbelievable balancing acts, tight rope walking, jumping, twisting and falling, all with perfect comic timing, which London’s The Sunday Times aptly pronounced as “dazzling accomplishments in the most engaging unostentatious manner”.
A celebrated performer from San Francisco’s Pickle Family Circus, Montréal’s Cirque Éloize Jamie has also performed with Cirque du Soleil. He is the winner of the Annie Fratellini Clown Prize, the winner of the Bronze Medal at Festival International du Cirque de Demain in Franceand a recentnominee for Circus Incognitus as “Unique Theatrical Experience”, Drama Desk Awards 2011 (New York). The awards don’t lie; seeing Jamie Adkins live really is something not to be missed.
Join us during the July school holidays for an unforgettable one-man circus comedy. It’s an experience that will delight the whole family.
Circus Incognitus comes to the Auckland Town Hall’s Concert Chamber during the July school holidays for six shows only as part of the THE EDGE’ Time Out theatre programme.
Circus Incognitus
Thursday 28 – Saturday 30 July, 11.00am and 1.30pm
Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall
General Admission Tickets are just $15*
from www.buytickets.co.nz or 0800 BUYTICKETS.
(*Service fees apply)
Fabulous, fluid and charming
Review by Kate Ward-Smythe 29th Jul 2011
Circus Incognitusis a fabulous affordable hour of holiday fun for both grown ups and kids. With plenty of impressive tricks and humorous antics, one-man-circus-show Jamie Adkins is a multi-talented likable guy to whom kids of all ages can easily relate.
The Concert Chamber seating is turned 90 degrees and the floor is transformed into Adkins’ play-pen, with his low-tech tools of the trade –including a ladder, mic stand, stool, snare drum and cymbal, chair, cardboard box and a tight-rope between two ominous looking metal tee-pee structures – all scattered seemingly haphazardly round the floor.
The whole show, with its jazzy piano stylings as pre-show music and perfectly placed underlay during the show, has a very European street theatre feel about it. It’s a welcome change to go to a high quality kid’s show that isn’t over-hyped with upbeat music, garish colours and relentless pace.
What I find most refreshing, is the intimacy the venue set-up and Adkins’ style of performance brings to the hour. By the end of the thoroughly enjoyable journey we have taken with him, we all feel we know this cheeky man well.
A seasoned pro, Adkins deals with the young audience’s collective ‘excitement’ half way through the show, effortlessly. As their heckles and helpful comments threaten to derail his charming magic, with a simple calming gesture, he has the young ones quickly focussed once more.
Essentially a mute humorist, Adkins’ facial expressions and physicality are fabulous, fluid and charming. They more than make up for the fact that he has “lost his voice”. His many and varied routines include such simple props as a hat, a ball or a piece of paper – each one of them charming and wonderful.
This brave clown also brings a touch of interactive sporting prowess to his delightful hour, with a game of catch, which has the entire audience holding their breath each time he lunges with full commitment to catch the ‘ball’.
Saving the big moment for last, “Le Grand Finale” is a very fitting and elevated climax – though the cute little prop Adkins reveals in his curtain call, is a showstopper.
I took five kids, aged 7 through to 9. They hurried in soon after the house opened, in order to secure front row spots on the mat – I opted for a comfy chair further back.
Four of them gave the show a five-star rating – the 9 year old took off half a star because she wanted some pre show entertainment during the 10 minutes they had to wait on the mat for the circus to begin. J
Their comments include:
“I loved how he could do all those different tricks. So many different talents. Amazing.”
“Really cool. I loved it when he had to walk on his broken ladder and he got all the way across the stage.”
“He could do so much fun stuff. I liked the way we could throw things at him – but only when he said ‘go’.”
“It was really funny when he came out at the very end.”
“It was all funny, all his words and his moves.”
“Enjoyed the whole performance in general.”
“He made a few mistakes but that was actually still really funny.”
“I liked the way you could see all of the things he had learnt how to do.”
“I liked it when the ladder broke.”
“Hilarious.”
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