James & Jamesy In the Dark by Aaron Malkin and Alastair Knowles
August 12 – 20 at Venue #39: La Cité Francophone
More information: jamesandjamesy.com

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An interview with James & Jamesy

Describe your show in five words.

Pixar meets Waiting for Godot.

Okay, now that we’re intrigued… what’s the longer description?

The stage is dark. Two chaps, who each believe they are alone in existence, happen upon each other, launching them into a series of physical and philosophical discoveries. Their wordplay is packed with layers of meaning through which they conjure an adventure around creation itself. It’s like watching two big imaginative kids in a tent with flashlights, as they bring to life a whole world and invite the audience to step inside. Think Abbott and Costello with a hint of Samuel Beckett. It’s raw, poignant, and performed… in the dark.

James & Jamesy In the Dark is performed in the dark. Can you give audiences a sense of what to expect from the show’s lighting?

Expect visually stunning imagery. The only light sources are integrated into our costumes, allowing us to meticulously control what is concealed and revealed. The show has aptly been described as a painting come to life.

Why choose to stage the show in the dark? What does this lighting choice allow you to do with the piece that you can’t with a more traditional lighting design?

Since the light sources are integrated into our costumes, each movement, each pause, creates a unique aesthetic that could not be achieved any other way. The visuals are breathtaking, and perfectly support the journey of discovery and creation in the show.

James & Jamesy In the Dark blends a number of different artistic styles including comedy, mime, clown, puppetry and dance. How do all these styles work together and what does this multidisciplinary approach add to your show?

As physical comedians, we use our bodies as the engines that drive plot, character development, relationship, and emotion. Mime, puppetry, and dance are extensions of this skillset. With each new production we create, we challenge and expand our capacity as artists. James & Jamesy In the Dark pushes us to our limits… and we relish it.

Anything else you want audiences to know about the show?

There is a magic in the show for us – the performers – too. The more we perform it, the more layers of meaning we discover within it. Like a rich novel, each read yields more to ponder. All the while, the content is so accessible that children sometimes understand it before adults.

The 35th Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival is August 11 – 21. Tickets go on sale August 3 at noon and will be available at tickets.fringetheatre.ca.