REVIEW: CIRCUS INCOGNITUS Dazzles and Delights at the Edison Theatre

Jamie Adkins is a unique talent, and his extraordinary abilities were on display at the Edison Theatre (January 16, 2010), on the campus of Washington University, in his one man show Circus Incognitus. This unusual, but very engaging production combines many familiar elements from the world of the circus including: clowning, juggling, acrobatics, and wire work. Adkins ably takes on the challenge of each task, blending them all into a distinctly amusing experience that dazzles and delights.

The show operates under the pretense that Mr. Adkins has a speech he's prepared for the audience, but no matter how hard he tries, something always seems to go awry before he can get started. When he finally retrieves the piece of paper he needs to begin, he finds out that it's blank. Determined to go on, he gathers up a mic stand only to find out there's no microphone. Once he locates the microphone and puts it in place, he notices its not plugged in. But all this is just a backdrop for the inspired silliness that ensues.

What makes this show so entertaining is the way the action is pulled from Jamie's efforts to get on with his business. For instance, he's ready to finally speak into the microphone and address the audience when a ping pong ball appears in his mouth, and then another, and another. An amusing juggling routine follows, capping off the bit before it dovetails into some more insanity, like his struggles to climb a ladder that's slowly falling into pieces, or walking an incredibly slack tightrope. One of his best gags has him catching oranges thrown from the audience on a fork extending from his mouth. Trust me, it's funnier than it sounds.

Adkins has a graceful athleticism that works wonderfully with his sharp sense of comic timing. His act requires a significant amount of hard work and practice to achieve the desired results, but it's the true mark of a professional that it seems almost effortless.

I saw Circus Incognitus with my little boy Zach, and he was full of giggles from the moment Adkins took the stage. The performance I attended was an hour long version that's part of their Ovations! For Young People Series. It may be a well worn cliché where circuses are concerned, but this was a charming show that was guaranteed fun for children of all ages.