Featured Image Graphic designer: Jared Pallesen 

Featured Image Photographer: Leoluchino Linumus 

 

The performance style for The Best is Yet to Come has a little bit of everything autobiography, ted talk, magic show and queer inspirational guidance.

Adorned in wonderfully sparkling nails and gems across his forehead, Jeremy Rolston opened the show with some guidance on participation and encouraged us, the audience, to be as responsive as we wanted. As a regular audience member, I frequently notice the audience hold back as if to maintain some kind of unspoken etiquette. I appreciated Jeremy’s invitation to emotionally engage as this increases enjoyment for the performer and the audience.

Jeremy shares his story of navigating his emergence as an openly gay man to himself, his family and society while interspersing his story with incredible magic performances.

A mentalist by description. Much of Jeremy’s skills in magic are based on well-honed intuitive abilities, although some classic illusion-based tricks are also in the mix.

I love magic shows, and Jemery’s seamless performance demonstrates someone who has spent years perfecting his craft right down to the nail-biting finale.

Throughout the show, he talks of his passion for the LGBTI community, its history, progress and the recent events that threaten that progress. I particularly appreciated the information handout provided to all audience members on queer organisations in Aotearoa that are doing positive work.

I felt that the point of difference in The Best is Yet to Come is Jeremy’s story of discovery as a person deeply embedded in a non-LGBTI supportive Christian community and the emotional conflict that this can present. I believe that this perspective is less common in today’s narratives and one many people could identify with. It would be interesting to hear more of Jeremy’s personal experience in his storytelling.

A heartfelt performance with magical surprises.