jem rolls: I, IDIOT

big word performance poetry—Dragon Arts Collective

Jem Rolls is one of the most recognised names in Fringe and his shows are equally legendary. This year, his I, IDIOT show purports to prove that he’s an idiot, and more than that, we’re all idiots and that the world is comprised of only idiots. I’m sure he had most of the audience convinced by the time he ended the show.

Known for his raucous, boisterous and bombastic delivery, it’s a shame you don’t get much of a chance to look beyond that. During the hour, Rolls probably pounds out 3000 words—way too much for introspection. That’s a great shame. The content of his words are as deep and dense as a university lecture and I would love to feature his script as a unit of discussion. Each topic of discourse contains multiple prongs of discovery and taking the time to delve into each would enlighten us all has human beings.

IDIOT? Hardly—this is probably the most intelligent treatise at Fringe.

Ray Yuen