Fans of the weird, wild or just plain eye-popping performance should mark their calendars now. The annual Toronto International BuskerFest for Epilepsy hits the Beach for the Labour Day weekend, when more than 100 performers from around the world will strut their stuff.
Barada Street (Kyrgyzstan/United Kingdom)
What? You mean you’ve never seen an act featuring a skinny English guy and a strongman from Kyrgyzstan? You really need to get out more. This show is completely idiotic – in the very best sense of the word. Seriously physical comedy, music and beautifully timed interplay between the duo could make this one a crowd favourite. Barada Street has won awards at the Vevey Artiste du la Rue festival (2014) and Lenzburger Gauklerfestival (2015) in Switzerland. The pair is making its BuskerFest debut.
ACE-K (Japan)
Eisuke channels his inner ninja with fast and laser-sharp acrobatics, juggling and balloon manipulation like you’ve never seen before. And we’re not talking about wiener dogs and bunnies here – this guy can do some incredible things with balloons. Eisuke trained at Japan’s Sori International Circus School and has been in high demand at street festivals worldwide, collecting a bagful of awards along the way. Toronto finally gets a chance to see him.
Victor Rubilar (Argentina)
You don’t have to be a soccer fan to be amazed by “football freestyler” Victor Rubilar. At last count, the Argentine ball maestro had 18 international awards under his belt for his jaw-dropping ball stunts. A top-draw busker, Rubilar has appeared in 42 countries and holds several Guinness world records, three of them set in one day. In his most recent show, Rubilar has woven his ball skills with magic and juggling into a spoof of a Latino soap opera set in a soccer arena. You don’t see that every day. He has taken his award-winning tour across the globe.
Seb Whipits (“Germany”)
Seb is a “whip performer” (no, not that kind of whip performer) who has perfected the unique art of juggling fiery whips while on a unicycle. Yes, you read that correctly. Another one of Seb’s tricks is being a “suggestively ambiguous German.” The ambiguity stems from the fact he was previously known as Jason Henderson of Niagara Falls, Ont. But Seb’s thick accent and tenuous grasp of English explain why he sometimes struggles to find the right words, often to hilarious effect.
Pancho Libre (Mexico)
An international performer back by popular demand is Mexico’s Francisco Sandoval, better known as Pancho Libre. Pancho has built a global reputation for his spectacular acrobatics and his mastery of the Cyr wheel, contact staff and Chinese pole. You think you’re athletic? Try pulling off one of Pancho’s signature tricks – the “horizontal flag.” It’s simple, really. Just hold your body in a perfectly horizontal position way off the ground while grasping an upright poll, like a flag. Watch Pancho twist inside and around a spinning Cyr wheel, or unleash a dervish-like performance with the contact staff. This guy is seriously in shape.
Mat Ricardo (United Kingdom)
The self-described gentleman juggler has a slew of awards for his vaudeville-inspired cabaret act. The “showman with the fast hands, smart mouth and nice suit” engages audiences with stories about famed magicians of the past as he puts a new twist on some classic tricks, such as the ol’ whip-off-the-tablecloth. “Captivating,” “breathtaking” and according to an equally breathtaking review in Britain’s What’s On Stage magazine, Mat has “the best juggling act you’ve ever seen.” Okay, already, we get it. He’s good.