Assume People Like You | Melon The Human
Metro Arts is now sitting in the basement of what once would have been the old Ice-Cream Factory, a once bustling grass roots community of circus performers, many of which were members of the Hoopla-Clique circus troupe. Was nice to see a new Arts space in West End, especially as they keep closing throughout the neighbourhood, and a bonus to see it being used for Circus tonight.
As we entered, we both weren’t sure whether the show had indeed started. We were running a couple of minutes late, but Melon the Human smiled as we entered rocking his body standing in the one spot, cutting subdued shapes, rolling shoulders all the while with these wide-eyed suggestive eyebrows and gestures, communicating an enjoyment of dancing along to a techno song complete with catchy hook echoing ‘human music …human music ’
The final audience members enter the small studio, Melon smiling and connecting with each as they’d enter and the lights dim for the beginning of this one man play. Melon starts with a tiny intro showing us his first bemusing of two double ringed flat plastic hoops, I’d never seen them being used before and he moves them through his fingers as if mechanically rotating each to seem as if they were indeed levitating and moving on their own.
“I’m about to do a massive yawn, and if you didn’t already realise: this is a one man show…….. so if you were expecting others, this might be the last time you can gracefully leave.”
He says this over to the mic in an attempt to gain empathy from the audience. The yawn is acted and ingenuine so it doesn’t catch, but the hilarity of the exercise moves the audience to laughter, one woman in particular laughing joyously throughout, she later makes an appearance on stage.
Melon’s antics embellish the awkwardness. I was amused, and I did: I liked him. He got us clapping along off beat to keep everyone ‘hyped’, the use of tennis balls as an onstage decoy to provide time for him to start the next act. The whole thing felt genuine, big eyes talking, cheesy dance moves, balancing feats, advanced splits into twerks, hat gags, picnics and the shiny jacket at one point even going live on socials.
Melon the Human’s one man show focusses in on the dating playbook. An alien, robot and human interpretation of what that might look like. You see Melon’s desperation to connect. I feel for him. He is doing all the things. Playing all his cards. Pulling out all stops. Picnics, ballroom dancing, ice-cream. He tries it all.
‘Let’s get on with the show’- a recorded voice booms out ‘We don’t need friends in our thirties, there are many things you can do to pass time on your own, why don’t you try circus, circus, circus, circus, circus……’
This is clearly where Melon the Human has devoted his time. To getting to know his craft. He might not make friends easily – but he knows how to do some pretty cool tricks and shit. When the Diablo comes out, I turn to my son who came with me, and remembered his first encounters with Diablo aged 10 at Woodford Folk Festival. He even busked with it, he got that good. I figured Melon could’ve been one of those Woodford kids, that just kept going with it.
Melon the Human demonstrates clowning at its finest, providing an hour’s worth of circus with the skill of a yesteryear street hustler. He kept us there. Melon’s fluidity in all the balancing, balls, rings, giant cube gags, tennis ball decoys he scatters throughout his performance are masterful. A stellar performance for his first time running this show. Most definitely worth a looksee.
