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REAL VEGAS PEOPLE - You Don't Know Jack (Atherton, That Is)

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REAL VEGAS PEOPLE - You Don't Know Jack (Atherton, That Is)

Keeping up with Spiegelworld's charming OPM strongman is a super feat...

While this article was being prepared for publication, VEGAS 411 received the disappointing news that Spiegelworld's Starship OPM will be taking its final voyage on New Year's Eve, 2023. Tickets for the remaining performances of OPM are available here. We trust that all of the show's gifted cast and crew will land on their feet, ready for new adventures among the lights of Las Vegas.

In early April of this year, VEGAS 411 attended a reception for the twelfth anniversary of the hit show ABSINTHE. In attendance were Spiegelworld founder Ross Mollison, hundreds of fans, and dozens of entertainers from across Las Vegas. While chatting with previous profile recipient Wayne Skivington, I was introduced to a towering, bearded gentleman. His name was Jack Cameron Atherton...and he was difficult to forget. It's not easy to stand out in a crowd filled with athletes, singers, contortionists, trapeze artists, hand balancers, aerialists, models, and dancers. Nevertheless, Jack's movie star looks, imposing frame, and resonating voice captured my attention. During our conversation, Atherton told me that he was new to the cast of OPM...and I promised to someday feature him in an article. [video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://vegas411-images.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/10030115/20231022_220656.mp4"][/video] It wasn't until mid-October that our discussion of a profile resumed. I was dining with friends at SUPERFRICO when Jack approached our table...with another man balanced upside down on his shoulders. Nice way to remind me of a promise, dude! Jack's partner in the above clip is Tiago Figueiredo. Together, they perform as a hand-to-hand duo known as The Fooking Lads (sanitized as "The Lads" when they auditioned for America's Got Talent). Their cheeky name conveys a rebellious (and slightly bawdy) approach to acrobatics. What we're laughing at (and you can't see thanks to an inconveniently-placed bottle) is the type of naughty humor rarely found in circus acrobatics. That makes The Fooking Lads a perfect fit for Spiegelworld.

Photos by Renee Choi Photography via Instagram

When I asked Mr. Atherton how he became an acrobat, he answered "I chose it, or it chose me. You never really know." Jack was raised in a family drenched in athletics. His twin uncles are Cirque du Soleil performers who'd competed in gymnastics for Great Britain. Following in their path, Jack began gymnastic training at the age of seven. The commitment didn't take hold until he moved from one city to another within the U.K. Jack's new stepfather was a gymnastics coach, and at eleven he began training again as an acrobat. Participating in international competitions is how Jack met Tiago, who was representing Portugal. "We were little versions of ourselves. I started as a flyer (the top position) but then I got too big and switched to being a porter (the base)." "I watched my Uncles go all these cool places through Cirque du Soleil and meet all these celebrities. I'd never even left my little country. I was super inspired by that. I knew that at the end of my career...retiring from competition...that I could go into something like that." "My first public performance was at the 2012 Olympics, which was really cool and very intimidating. This wasn't like a gymnastics competition where there were maybe a thousand people watching. The full world was watching...live TV. I was like 'whoa!'." [embed]https://youtu.be/9TIDxZRd3ck?si=1fX24Rw8uw8KnLqp[/embed] One of Jack's first big gigs was a three-year contract with "House of Dancing Water" (above). The elaborate aquatic spectacular in Macau, China, was creator Franco Dragone's massive expansion of his own LE REVE at Wynn. Both productions fell victim to the pandemic, but fortunately, Atherton had already moved on to Cirque du Soleil's touring show CRYSTAL. Later followed PARAMOUR, another Cirque production featuring Vegas entertainer Ruby Lewis. The COVID shutdown redirected many career paths, but for Jack and Tiago, it was an opportunity to regroup for creation, practice, and new ambitions. Jack was based in Germany working with other performers. They were doing COVID-safe shows, including a gig in a forest outside of Paris, when he rejoined his childhood partner. [embed]https://youtu.be/q0xriAK1B1E?si=ZNwBGKqAuRPh94GS[/embed] "Tiago had just finished TORUK (Cirque's take on James Cameron's AVATAR) and came to Hamburg. I'd switched to base. We hadn't seen each other in years and he was quite big. We tried to train together, just playing around, but we clicked. Everything clicked. And I thought, 'Maybe we're onto something here'. "Satisfied with their new chemistry, the boys sent out feelers and promoted themselves as a team. They were suddenly flying from city to city, country to country. "Things snowballed. We went from contract to contract. One in Dubai, and one in Munich. We didn't get a chance to rest, you know. It was incredible. It was really good." Now established as a duo, "The Lads" appeared in several televised competitions, including international versions of America's Got Talent. Meanwhile, Jack was already collaborating with fellow Brit Wayne Skivington on a fitness site called workoutwith.org. Vegas-based Skivington is familiar to audiences through years of work in ZUMANITY, ABSINTHE, and NBC's THE TITAN GAMES.

Longtime pals Wayne Skivington (left) and Jack Atherton

With his twin uncles based in Las Vegas, along with many of his friends, it was only a matter of time before word of "The Lads" reached Sin City talent scouts. An online video of Tiago and Jack posted by their buddy Skivington caught the eyes of Spiegelworld's Creative Director Leah Moyer. The message Moyer sent was an offer to join Spiegelworld, sans audition.

An opportunity to relocate to Las Vegas didn't even require a moment's thought. The guys looked at each other and Jack said, "I'll reply then. Immediately, if not faster" he recalls with a laugh. "There's so many shows here. So many opportunities. It's the place that most like-minded people I know come to. You're in the hub of show business...you've made it!" In part two (click HERE), I'll shadow Jack Atherton as he reports to Cosmopolitan Resort for an evening of performances at OPM and SUPERFRICO. I'll also share details of the hours leading up to showtime and the grueling schedule he follows to keep in top shape.