Hello Winkers,

I’m super excited to be working with the Wink team as I embark on this new challenge, so it’s great to be given the opportunity to introduce myself.

So, ‘Hi’, I’m Aaron Twitchen: Stand Up Comic, Circus Aerialist and Living Stereotype.

I stumbled across Wink when searching for men’s aerial clothing online. It was tough. You’d have more luck finding a leaked copy of a new Beyonce album (trust me I’ve been looking). When it comes to men’s aerial clothing they’re either custom made expensive, or completely see-through mesh for sexy time. Wink is great. Although mostly aimed at Pole Dancing, the fabrics work really well in the air and look great on.

This year is pretty big for me, I take the challenge of presenting the first stand up comedy/aerial silks fusion show at the Edinburgh Fringe. WHAT? A stand up show with aerial silks? You mean, you’ll be telling jokes whilst hanging upside down and doing drops… err, yes, exactly that.

Why? Well, I had both the skills. I’ve been working the national comedy circuit for 6 years playing in all the big clubs such as Glee, Comedy Store, Stand. I got to provide tour support for Luisa Omielan and share bills with some of the biggest names in comedy like Jason Manford, Katherine Ryan, Joe Lycett and Tom Stade. At the same time, I was working for a circus theatre company; teaching silks and trapeze workshops whilst simultaneously touring circus theatre shows around the country.

Inevitably, I had to marry the two; mostly because people kept asking and I’m very susceptible to peer pressure. I just needed a good reason to and I found it.

I want to make circus a conversation, like stand up. Breakdown the fourth wall between the audience and the performer to feel like you, from the audience, can change and influence the performance onstage.

I’m just a regular guy. 8 years ago I’d never told a joke on stage and I’d never set foot on a rope. But I learnt to. That’s what I want to inspire in my audience.

Anyone is capable of achieving greatness if they try, and the Wink Fitness brand fits into that so well. Whether you are training for performance, fitness or just for fun they have a range of outfits to inspire and aide your achievements. I spent AAAAAGES trying to find men’s circus clothing and I’m so lucky to have Wink supporting me to do this.

Comedians always talk about “dying” on stage or a joke not “landing”, with this new element of aerial stand up… I’m the one throwing in the real possibility of those happening for real.

I hope you can come see the show. It will be in Edinburgh Fringe everyday of the festival at C Venues South, 6:50pm (except the 15th. The 15th is when we party*!)

*By party I mean sleep!