Embracing the Carny theme of her shows’ title of Freakshow, CJ Jenkins entered the performance space, adorned in colourful sideshow attire, with the pomp of a circus parade and proceeded to arrange the stage with the exaggerated flourishes of a game show hostess. Taking a seat, she launched into a monologue that explained the challenges she faced suffering from Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy and Rheumatoid Arthritis as well as plenty of stories from her childhood that explained how she became the person she is today.
As well as tales describing the bizarre exploits of her dodgy family and acquaintances, there were a number of quite informative pieces that went into great detail. Her explanations of the practices of the Pentecostal church was a fascinating expose that became hilarious with the addition of her unique observations.
The material was of an extremely personal nature, some times a little too personal which occasionally became rather dark and uncomfortable, but CJ was for the most part able to make light of the her tales of woe with a witty quip or left of centre observation. It was a brilliant example of heartfelt comedic storytelling that was well constructed and demonstrated a wonderful ability to see the positive in all situations. My only gripe was a few missing details from her rather detailed stories that may have resolved some questions in my head (such as why exactly was she subjected to multiple exorcisms?), but the open interpretation it left us with did provide some interesting discussion for the ride home.
CJ apologised for any nervousness with a cute bit of self deprecation. Not having performed a festival show for quite a while she started out rather timidly, but as the show went on she displayed the confidence of old and her chatty style on C31’s The Comic Box. She became increasingly animated as she told her tales, often conveying the ridiculous of the situations with a wave of her arms and a wacky facial expression. Her decision to forgo the use of a microphone aided in creating a cosy fireside atmosphere to the piece but she did risk being overwhelmed by the loud private function happening next door.
CJ Jenkins is a Freakshow was a wonderful show that had plenty of humorous material to lighten the often serious material considerably. Her finale involving a little bit of gentle audience participation resulted in the uplifting conclusion that there are ways of overcoming challenges by appreciating the simple things.
Visit the Comedy Festival Website for booking details.