Review: JELLY OR JAM: ADELAIDE FRINGE 2018 at Empire Theatre At Royal Croquet Club

Reviewed by Fiona Talbot-Leigh, Monday 12th March 2018.

When I was a child, I was never allowed to play with my food or get messy, Jelly or Jam was the perfect antidote to my somewhat strict childhood meal time as I watched husband and wife team, Jascha Boyce and Joren Dawson, play, jump on, and squish jelly between themselves all in the name of art and fun in the world premiere of this family-friendly show.

Boyce is a founding member of Adelaide based acrobatic and physical theatre company Gravity & Other Myths. She has had a key role in the creation and presentation of the company's three award-winning productions Freefall, A Simple Space and Backbone, a production I was privileged to see as part of the 2017 Adelaide Festival. Boyce continues to tour internationally with the company.

Dawson is a graduate of the National Circus School in Montreal and has worked with leading circus companies including the 7Fingers (Canada) and La Soiree (Australia). He is a key performer and co-creator of La Soiree's latest production, Club Swizzle, created for a residency at the Sydney Opera House and now touring internationally. These two are no strangers to hard work and it is wonderful to see them branch out into their own company which they have called The Boogies.

Upon entering the performance space, Boyce and Dawson warmly welcomed each audience member and relieved us all of our socks and shoes which they then hung up along a fence line as the backdrop to their show. Dressed in white, and performing upon the same, these two incredible acrobats began to explore in differing densities, the wonderful world of wobbly jelly. Interspersed with music and interviews from children, as they share what goes on inside their own brains, Boyce and Dawson take us through a very physical and highly choreographed show. Who knew so much fun could be had with jelly?

As acrobats, you just can't fault these two. They work so incredibly well together; each as strong as the other, as they manipulate their bodies around each other, the stage and jelly. Under the banner of a pinkish red light, different themes are explored, such as anger, texture, and love. Boyce and Dawson's strength is phenomenal and, at times, was hard to watch as they stood on each other's heads and shoulders with no soft place to land, all in the name of art, and much to the delight of the audience.

The show is beautifully executed, although at times the abstractness of it all was a little lost on the younger members of the audience, but this team's acrobatic skills certainly made up for that. As well as their acrobatic skills, Boyce and Dawson also have a special charm and share an almost childlike innocence, which easily endeared them to their audience. All those there felt included and even invited into the tactile aspect of it all.

This is a lovely show that deserves a large audience. It is a wonderful way to not only introduce young children to the world of acrobats, but to theatre as well. Boyce and Dawson are very well rounded and experienced performers who know how to produce high-quality work. The end of the show, like the beginning, involved Boyce and Dawson interacting closely with the audience.

Jelly or Jam has three shows left at the Royal Croquet Club on Saturday 17th March at 4:30pm and Sunday 18th at noon and 4:30pm. Take the kids along for a fun, interactive and (only if you want it to be) messy afternoon out and, once you leave, someone else does the cleaning up, even better!

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