James and Jamesy brought their fun, quirky, two-man show “O Christmas Tea” to the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts in Brantford on Friday, December 9, 2022.
“O Christmas Tea” is the story of two friends who immerse themselves in a world of imagination.
The performance opened with Jamesy, portrayed by Alastair Knowles, who was hosting his own, private tea party. During the opening monologue, Knowles demonstrated his ability to quickly connect with the audience with his strong sense of physical comedy, specifically with his facial expressions.
Shortly thereafter, Knowles was joined by James, portrayed by Aaron Malkin, and the two performers took the audience on a ride of pure imagination.
Once the two actors hit the stage together, the performance moved at a quick pace with Knowles and Malkin playing off each other perfectly. Malkin and Knowles demonstrated great story-telling skills, physical comedy and tap-dancing skills.
Malkin and Knowles quickly engaged with the audience, getting the crowd to be animals, such as horses, chickens and other animals that would have been on Noah’s Ark.
As the story progressed, Knowles and Malkin continued to involve the audience, bringing guests on stage to act like a shark, be the captain of a ship or a first mate, or even the Queen of England.
The show closed out with a hilarious tribute to the closing scenes of the 1997 hit film “Titanic.”
“It was a uniquely different theatrical performance,” said one audience member. “It was something different and like nothing I have ever seen before. James and Jamesy really had great chemistry with each other and the audience.”
Malkin and Knowles will continue their two-man show right up until the holidays, with stops in Cornwall, Kingston, Ottawa, St. Catharines, Chatham, Windsor and London.
