Jamie Adkins started his career age 13 as a street performer in SanDiego. After joining the Pickle Family Circus in San Francisco, he joined Montréal’s Cirque Éloize with whom he produced his creation, Typo, that toured the world for over two years when this consummate clown acrobat gave over 200 performances that were admired and loved by critics and the circus- going audiences alike.
His one man show, Circus Incognitus, made a fabulous firework of an ending for this year’s Imaginate Festival. To the happy sounds of trad jazz and 12 bar blues the audience anticipated this piece of physical theatre, but I doubt if anyone expected the thoroughly entertaining treat we were given. What can this man not do?
Full of Chaplinesque vulnerability, Adkins gave us rubber limbed clowning at its best, performing with immaculate timing feats that had to be seen to be believed. He is the eternal sad clown as he does understated, anxious juggling, high wire walking and balancing that makes the seemingly impossible look achievable, if not easy, his concentration well hidden behind practised chaos.
This breathtakingly talented man performs magic in his funny and utterly engaging not-quite-wordless show as he emits jawdropping joy to an enamoured audience. Old-fashioned circus skills are brought to the stage by one unique modest and thoroughly entertaining man.
I have an ambition to see James Thiérrée before I die, but if I don’t manage it, the 60 glorious minutes spent watching Jamie Adkins will be a fine alternative. If I could, I’d award him 6 stars – at least!