Poetry and magic from a clown-acrobat

When it comes to getting stuck between the bars of a chair, balancing precariously between two ladders, or finding himself in a state of partial undress before a crowd of spectators, he is in a class of his own. A worthy successor to Buster Keaton, with the tousled hair and constantly stupefied expression of a Stan Laurel, the US circus comedian Jamie Adkins – at once clown, juggler, and acrobat – strings together a succession of dangerous stunts and crazy clown routines that delight and astound audiences of every generation. To make them laugh or win their admiration, all he needs are a few bits of string, a sheet of paper, something to sit on, and (for example) a ping-pong ball. Adkins used to be with the Cirque du Soleil and the Cirque Éloize and in his work magic and poetry are born of simplicity – which is nice to see in an age when gigantic circus juggernauts are crushing everything in their path. Alone onstage (“it’s easier to improvise that way, and in any case I am never alone, as the audience is there,” he observes), with no words and no red nose, he struggles constantly with objects that let him down and prevent him from successfully carrying out anything he undertakes in a “normal” way, forcing him to find new solutions in order to achieve his goals. All of which leads to numerous acrobatic feats and to poetic sequences tinged with surrealism.

Jamie Adkins: Circus Incognitus 11/1, 20.30, 12/1, 16.00, €9/13/14/15, Wolubilis, Cours Paul-Henri Spaakpromenade 1, Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe/Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, 02-761.60.30, www.wolubilis.be