The Perfect Pour

Kids Are Hard to Impress, But I’m a Big Fan of Tea

A show dependant on audience participation, but with the scariest audience of them all… judgemental children. Even with a tough crowd, we were all hypnotized by his tea driven mission of he achieving The Perfect Pour™. This show was so fun, and there’s always enough happening that you were constantly engaged. Not to mention this venue features one of the smallest stages, but is somehow still cozy and inviting. Even though I was not the intended audience, I had a great time, laughed lots, and just enjoyed going back to the days when I was a little fringer. Alex really seems to love what he does, and is exceptionally skilled in all aspects of story telling. Everyone really loved his humour, puppets, and all his tricks. Also, shoutout to the tech team at the back, who I sat beside and shared smiles with the entire performance. Even they were having a good time. A puppeteer, a juggler, a storyteller, a comedian, and a tea master, Alex is a true renaissance fringer. What a joy to watch, and to feel like a kid again.

CARLY VOS, AYTC

We went and watched A PERFECT POUR yesterday. A fun show with juggling, balancing, puppets and full of humour. A great show to take kids of all ages to!

"Embark on a playful journey in "The Perfect Pour," where mastering the art of pouring tea becomes an extraordinary adventure. With puppetry, juggling, balancing acts, and captivating storytelling, this one-hour show is a lively and entertaining experience for all ages."

YEGFringe #Edmonton #YEG #ExploreEdmonton

We loved it! I secretly dread taking my kids to fringe shows because sometimes they can be pretty rough for the adults! but my three-year-old my eight-year-old and I all enjoyed this show. A little mix of everything.

It was cute. Storyline was a bit of a mess, and it felt more like a variety show collection of circus arts. If that’s the case, it’s hard to see what makes this show different from a street performer’s at the Fringe or a free show at the KidsFringe from a patron’s perspective. I think this one was definitely more for the 6 and under kiddos, though one elderly lady near me was having the time of her LIFE.

I went for The Perfect Pour, but I stayed for the family pet. Alex Payne is well versed in circus arts, and clearly understands kids. As an adult, I found the show very entertaining at points, but did find myself wondering where the story was going a couple of times (despite knowing how it would end). While I found the stops along the way of the plot far more interesting than the plot itself, I was glad I went. Alex’s way with puppets and nonverbal communication skills were truly wonderful to watch. There were kids of all ages and he found ways to interact with and entertain all of them, even those of us who are grown up kids. I did use an infinity cube, as well as loop engage earplugs to help with the music which was a bit loud, but he was never trying to talk over it, so it didn’t impact the performance much. The lights were a bit dark when I entered, so I would recommend being careful finding your seat. There were also some tricks that involved moving lights in the dark (they were very cool), so if you're photosensitive it might hurt your head a bit. All in all it was a good kids show that stays true to its word and is an entertaining experience for all ages.