Sirquis Alfon, an international trio of street entertainers, take to the stage at Gilded Balloon this year, offering a variety show of crowd-pleasing fun and impressive technical mastery. They might not always suit a seated venue, but take on the challenge with gusto.
I Am Somebody is a cleverly interactive show, with more than enough heart and skill to make a lasting impression.
I Am Somebody is immensely watchable, from the nostalgic 64-bit tunes and Street Fighter choreography right down to its banana-based slapstick. The three men are always engaging and mostly impressive in this family-friendly show; though not always spectacular, dance sections prove a treat, shifting between brief breakdances and some very funny ‘rewind’ sections. It’s their awareness of the potential of multimedia that consistently draws in the most laughs: pausing the action with a Wii remote, layering live recordings on top of each other, and shifting camera angles on the projection screen for an absurd ‘gymnastics’ set.
An ingenious laser lightshow turns out to be the clear highlight of the evening, aided by their insistence on audience members taking photos and tweeting during the performance, and a bemusing use of audience interaction that makes for a killer punchline onscreen. What immediately comes across is their tech-savvy use of both their own equipment and the machines in each audience member’s pockets. Don’t let their easy manner fool you: these men are doing something much smarter than a lot of their competitors; it’s a shame their precise control over multimedia doesn’t always extend to other areas of the production. Some physical sequences are clumsy, while their busking charm doesn’t always suit the trappings of a more formal theatrical setting.
Often relying on lip-syncing and some underwhelming songs on self-belief to fill out the show, it’s hard not to feel like they could have done more across the board. Despite this, I Am Somebody is a cleverly interactive show, with more than enough heart and skill to make a lasting impression.
