The following is one of my most recent journalism articles published on our UNISA student online publication: On The Record
By KATHERINE COX
This year, the Fringe Festival was host to many street theatre
performances held in Rundle Mall and Gluttony.
A variety of performers from Australia and overseas were given the
chance to entertain Adelaide’s crowds.
Long-running Fringe Festival performer Dado from The Doorway
Cabaret “just knew” he was going to perform from a young age.
“When I was nine years old, I knew I wanted to be a performer,” he said.
“My love for performing started when I walked past a magic store and my
dad bought [me] my first magic trick.”
Dado’s act included magic tricks, balloon art, some quirky dancing as
well as swallowing a balloon.
It has taken him a long time to learn and perfect his craft. He did his
first balloon gig when he was 14 and said he is still learning about balloon
art.
Another performance during the festival was Pancho Libre featuring seasoned entertainer and acrobat Francisco
Sandoval.
Sandoval is the producer and sole performer of the show and
started doing circus 13 years ago when he first performed in the streets of
Mexico before going to a circus school.
He went to circus school in China and Cuba and also taught in a circus
school in Canada.
Sandoval encourages audience participation as much as possible.
A part of his act involves encouraging an audience member to cling to
him “like a koala”, while he swings his hoop around in circles as he holds onto
the inside edges.
Sandoval says it is important to make people realise that his act is a
live show; it is not like theatre or watching a movie.
“We are very insensible these days because we have too much stimulation
so the people, they start to lose their sensibility.
“So I think the street shows; they help to bring sensibility to people
and to be conscious that we are humans and that we see each other through the
eyes, and… we are not machines.”
Sandoval says his inspiration for performing is just to do what makes
him happy and in life people should “try to work for happiness and try to find
the things that are really valuable, not the material things.”
