jem rolls’ LEASTEST FLOPS
big word performance poetry
Writer/Creator: Jem rolls
“JEM ROLLS LEAVES AUDIENCE SHAKEN”, Montreal Gazette,*****, 2005/6. “Genius”, 2007
After six fringe tours Jem reprises some of his most unhated material. Supposedly.
Featuring WeWonWeWon, GoodSex, Spoonerisms, Tourism, and many more untotalfailures. Purportedly.
“Dynamic, hilarious, riveting”, Winnipeg Free Press, ***** 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
“Overwhelming”, Edmonton Sun *****, 2008
“A true fringe gem”, Toronto Now 4/4, 2008
Jem is back with a bunch of our favourites. Since he never records his stuff, this is the only way you are going to get to hear “We Won” or “Clanger-Man” again. Go on. Jem is a poet unlike any other, even if you don’t like poetry (and I don’t) you will enjoy Jem’s show.
I have to be very careful reading Jem Rolls’ show titles. I interpreted Leastest Flops to mean that Jem was going to sit on his laurels for a year, and just rerun his most popular poems.
I should know better. This is the man who starts rehearsing for the Fringe in February. February! There are Fringe performers who have nothing but a show title in February! No wonder his machine gun delivery is so well oiled by the time he opens in Montreal. If Kevin Prokosh from the Winnipeg Free Press is in the opening night audience in Montreal, Jem Rolls is ready for him.
Contrary to my expectations two thirds of Jem’s material was new to me, and I’ve lost count of the number of his shows I’ve seen. Jem’s been busy over the winter.
Not to say that there isn’t familiar material as well. Jem is a performance poet. There are no recordings and no books of his poetry. If one of his poems fades in your memory, the only way to refresh it is to see him perform it again. He starts with his ode to his audience. Another familiar piece is The New British History Syllabus, based on the theme: we won. And there’s the popular We Split Up ‘Cause the Sex Was Too Good. Not to mention the self-descriptive Clanger-Man.
But most of Jem’s material this year (as usual) is new and fresh. There’s new material on spoonerisms, tourism, and and a long piece on optimism. If you’ve seen Jem in the past, you can look forward to a healthy balance of the familiar and the surprising.
From my experience, Jem Rolls is an acquired taste, like high priced Pinot Noirs. Not for everybody. But his delivery is some of the most professional on the Fringe circuit. It can be addictive. The crack cocaine of performance poetry. Even poetry haters like me aren’t immune. For aficionados, there is nothing else like it. If you haven’t tried Jem Rolls before, there’s only one way to find out whether you too are susceptible to the Jem Rolls habit.
Worth coming from out of town.
If you’re a fan of Jem Rolls’ previous shows you won’t be disappointed with this one. This is definitely not your grandma’s poetry reading though - Jem is at various times brash, vulgar, reflective and genial - and at all times funny. Worth seeing for Jem’s comic sense and command of the English language (bad puns included!).