Someone must have told the organizers that they could put on a better show if they got a grant. They got Donald. He sweated it out all afternoon and into the evening, dealing with inadequate tech, upset artists, and, finally making a stage appearance pushing a broom, trying to clean it between strikes.

 

Blink earned their keep doing promo, making numerous public appearances,

but it didn't seem to bring the public to the show. Pity, because the show included much that only a naive public would appreciate.

 

The show began in alarming fashion when a young stilt-walker in the hallway leaned on the fire alarm, and everyone had to exit the building. At the all clear there was an exciting dash for seats.

 

Graeme was a congenial host, personable and entertaining, with fine stage presence (nice costume, excellent hair) , AND he had skills! He accompanied on the didgereedoo, balanced it, and was basically delightful in a low-key way, poised and professional. The other compere, Aileen, was not; she could have benefited from makeup tips from Jay, or even costuming hints, 'cos it looked like she'd just wandered in off the streets. Her snide comment about kicking Blink's set props off stage wasn't on - that's just crossing the line, picking on Fritz! Had it been amusing or entertaining, I would have laughed, but it wasn't; it was just uncivil. Boo!

 

We must have children it seems, shades of Leeds. But so many? Reg Bolton was to be honored for his service in children's circus. Perhaps a lovely plaque and a brief heartfelt speech would have done as well? I liked the ensemble tumbling, which was the quickest and liveliest of the too-numerous pieces. The kids had only been working a couple of days, and the point of the performance was to demonstrate this for the public. Since the public didn't attend, no one was particularly inspired by the lengthy demo of newly­acquired circus skills.

 

The freshest talent included Laurent Perrilet's diabolo performance, and Blink. Beyond that, there was little that either had been seen enough, or had been done in by poor technical support.

 

Ben Jennings juggled balls, once his music was cued correctly. Sam I Am did a nice job with devil stick. Stretch People were well. received, working the audience and entertaining with stuff that was just this side of street theatre, and still a little rough in places, but ready. Haggis McLeod and Charlie Dancey performed their comedy juggling show, including passing and numbers juggling. It was as practiced as a professional routine should be, and well done. All well and good.

 

The second act just went on and on (like this review!), leaving people exhausted in spite of an intermission, during which U.V. lights were scared up. I wish they hadn't been! The renegade stage is the place to try out half baked works in progress, not the public show, and the U.V. pieces were...well, the confetti was the best part, and all the time sitting in the dark left people burnt. Blink's subtle ball routine, brilliant as it was, didn't stand a chance at the end of that show, on a dark and dirty stage.

 

Saturday was a long day. Transportation was good, but things broke down from arrival onward. We got there well before the start time, but, it wasn't a proper theatre, so tech was long and hard, there was no comfortable waiting space, AND it was too cold and windy to juggle. And there wasn't a pub nearby!

 

Thinking Caps:

The IJA has been putting on festivals for a long time, and they know that one of the wisest investments is in funny hats, which translates into assistance when used to deputize jugglers into workers (security, registration, etc.). It works, too ­ I was even security in Burlington for the hat. Maybe the Scots decided to spend their funny hat budget on buying drinks!

 

There were fewer people sharing the work than most regional American festivals have in their hosting clubs, and the organizers were all stars. Good trick if you can pull it off, but even stars need lots of technical support. It's hard to put on a big fest without lots of little people helping out (moral: pitch in at the next fest!). Running the show AND doing all the busy work left the loose ends that the show hung on, leaving a silent audience.

 

We followed a somber, subdued crowd back to the site. For a while we thought we were following the wrong buses, because the jugglers looked like football fans after they'd lost the big game! It was not the joyous crowd one usual\y sees after such an event. Even haggis and chips seemed cheering, afterwards.

 

Saturday felt long, from all of the shuttling about, and the show, and renegade suffered from audience exhaustion. There were good moments, but it felt late. I waited up to watch Mandy juggle, 'cos Cindy Marvel has nothing on her club juggling. Then I went to bed.

 

Sorted:

People had fun; it WAS a juggling convention, but there were organizational difficulties. Given all of the whining and public harangues throughout the convention (including an internet-posted plea for donations after), this lot evidently didn't manage their budget well. Saturday's schedule seemed too ambitious - games in town, back for workshops, in town for the show, back for renegade. Moving games to Sunday, on site, might have helped, and the public show definitely needed thought. Next year's British Convention will be in Nottingham, and the nod for the year after went to Oxford.

 

This amicable solution was reached after repeated split decisions. Perhaps future organizers will enlist help, manage a realistic budge, and cut down on busing.

 

Loser!

Who pinched my jewelry? May I have it back, please?

 

Goodness, Gracious:

I was kindly hosted by friendly folk throughout. Thanks to all! After crashing Circomedia's 10th anniversary bash in Bristol, I crashed at Caroline and Charlie's in London, again and again. Caroline merits especial mention, for it was she at the Leeds convention, trying to spare me repeated viewings of the Peking Opera. Caroline was lovely, loads of fun, and she got a houseful of Americans, and a Blink t-shirt for her trouble, poor dear. Circus Space in London had good cabaret, and that photo of Jeremy Robins. Tarim's house welcomed me in Bristol, and Tarim was even there once, AND he cooked pancakes! Fine times were had in England. Peter in Edinburgh was accommodating, with stout shoulders for both carrying luggage AND crying upon. Brendan provided tea and sympathy. Jan and Stuart of that other juggling magazine had their mobile bar convenient to hand. It was a pleasure playing with Haggis, who called the cab, and even more so with Ken, who kept it waiting.