JIGDOLL ENSEMBLE DEBUT PERFORMANCE REVIEW

Among the homegrown acts, one particular concert stood out – Hannah James’ JigDoll. This former one-woman show made its debut as an ensemble piece with James joined by Kate Young on fiddle, Marti Tärn on bass guitar and Cormac Byrne on an impressive range of percussion from spoons to cajón. James’ performance was captivating from her first yogic-like stance and meditative breathing through to her rapid switching from clogging to acrobatic cartwheels and headstands, all the while impressively wielding her accordion, looping and singing.
The whirl of theatrics was
dazzling but never ostentatious – James’ unique style is charmingly understated. The beaming smile to her fellow musicians and enthusiastic crowd reaction left no doubt that this once solo show has plenty of mileage as an ensemble piece. Definitely a show to catch when it tours next year.
Jo Frost