From the promotional photo, I was expecting a zany hour of rip-roaring bubble magic from the top-hatted Bubbleologist Maxwell. His long hair and ringmaster's frock coat had me imagining a three ring circus of crazy bubble fun, but what he delivered was something much more chilled. A charming, delightful and almost meditative introduction to the beautiful world of bubbles.
From his first invitation to breathe along with him, a long gentle inhalation, and a soft, breezy exhalation, he created a calm, zen like atmosphere where we were encouraged to break the usual excitement around the bubble's short life span (blow and pop!) and instead keep them growing, keep them floating, and keep them dancing!
I managed to have a very brief chat with Maxwell before the show, where he told me how adaptable his love of bubble performance is. He's performed for private parties, festival crowds and university groups as well as theatre audiences. Today, he had a brace of eager families utterly bewitched by his ability to transform soapy water and air into hovering orbs of swirling light. The kids were wide-eyed with wonder, and while some were able to restrain themselves as instructed, many were unable to curb that devilish urge to pop first and ask questions later.
I wish I could have stayed to the end to see him conjure his wonder on a large scale; his promo photo and the props on stage hinted at a finale of epic proportions. I also would have loved to hear more about the science of bubbles, what makes them work and what they teach us about physics and biology. But perhaps that's another show. Today was about the kids, and Maxwell left them floating as high as his shimmering spheres.
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