Ever imagine aerial acrobatics and physical comedy as a lens to view a life of desk job monotony? Me neither. This is why Fringes are great: a vehicle for creative and diverse work where unexpected gems await you. It helps that Jair Ramirez has not only the control and skill to more than deliver on the acrobatic side, but also the expressive features that makes us relate to the character, even before he wakes up.

I’ve always been a fan of acrobatics married with a narrative and, through a series of scenes unfolding across a day in the life, Ramirez tells a story of an everyman and his love-hate relationship with the trappings of his world. There’s a lot of nice comedy but depth too, ranging from unsettlingly surreal to grounded and poignant.

Highlights for me include the transformation of a coat into a bizarrely alien form, and the sad slow motion wandering of an overwhelmed soul. There’s nothing heavy in the piece but it has a message behind it.

Ramirez excels in making the difficult look easy, some of the longer spins literally dizzying, and the slow control of the aerial work impressive in its minimalism. The transitions between music cues are a little sharp in places but this is not an issue for most of the piece. The only disappointment is perhaps that I want a little more dancing, but then I imagine the main character wishes for the same.

It’s accessible theatre, making excellent use of physical and acting talents, getting the audience to laugh, applaud and relate all without speaking a word. Well worth catching Friday 1^st and Saturday 2^nd at the Meteor. 

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