Theatre
by Aaron Jessup
Black Flamingo, The Pleasure Garden
Februrary 2nd
Review by Evie Perry

It was only six people that filled the sweat-infested tent. Six people that awkwardly gave sympathy laughs and applauded apathetically on command. Beads of perspiration throbbed beneath the plastic surface of the Black Flamingo, and I sat dazed and confused, eager to let my heavy eyelids drop over my eyes. The chairs position the viewer bolt upright, maintaining a level of discomfort that made it impossible to fall asleep, fortunately assisting me in remaining conscious enough to write this review.

Flying Dreams is a tale of heartache and the pursuit of dreams, brought to life by San- Franciscan street performer Aaron Jessup. His autobiographical monologue presented the struggle of a shy and insecure juggler living on the streets of Europe, and his attempt to earn a living by amazing the public through his passion for juggling. Jessup juggled, at times, five clubs, and flaunted multiple tricks, including spinning and tumbling. He acted several roles throughout the performance and enticed the audience to use their imagination to envision Jessup’s surrounding environment.

However, regrettably, the performance was a tragedy; not only in its narrative, but also in its attempt to successfully perform each trick and to entertain the audience. The narrative itself did not take me through an epic and passionate journey of self-discovery, however, remained brutally realistic, so much to the extent that it ultimately became dull. The juggling acts were impressive with additional twists and turns (unless a mistake was made), however no further talents were demonstrated, allowing the performance as a whole to be anticlimactic. Furthermore, as Jessup was flaunting his talent he was eager persuade the audience to applaud, which became incredibly uncomfortable as the viewers seemed to only applaud as Jessup instructed, rather than if they were inspired to clap by the quality of the performance. The audience seemed uninterested by the skills of a mere street performer- who charged $22.00 per tickets.

Despite the somewhat charming nature of Flying Dreams, I was disappointed by the lack of skills demonstrated and the overall quality of the performance by Jessup. It is certainly one to avoid, as there are plenty of street performers who will exhibit their talents free of charge.

Flying Dreams runs until Sunday the 8th of February. You can find tickets in the Fringe World Guide here.