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At Great Lakes Medieval Faire and Marketplace, performer Johnny Phoenix plays with fire. From walking on a live gas blaze contained in a metal beam to eating flames, his act is a mix of comedy, astonishing stunts and audience interaction.
“I get burned at times, and things happen. It’s live fire,” he says. “I do a straitjacket escape. I do lots of bullwhip tricks. I do a fire walk, and there’s a lot of improvisational bits as well. ... It’s based on the audience and the experience that we’re having in the moment. That’s the real show.”
Phoenix has been performing at the Great Lakes Medieval Faire, an annual summer attraction in Rock Creek, for nearly 30 years.
A sprawling assortment of merchants, stages and more, the fair has been running since its founding in 1993 — attracting those ready to travel to a land of pirates, fairies and sword fighters.
“You’re outside under beautiful trees,” Phoenix says. He’s set to perform during the entire fair — which is open on weekends from July 6 to Aug. 11. “You come there with the idea that you’re going to play and have a good time.”
Grab a turkey leg, take in Celtic games, get fitted for elf ears and more as you wander the fictional shire of Avaloch. Performers like Aurora Culwell, who portrays freshwater mermaid Nixie, help transform the mundane into the magical. Nixie chirps to visitors from a manmade pond, flipping a blue-green tail and interacting mischievously with guests in her own trilling language.
“She likes to try to eat things that are not edible … if people give me a flower … she’ll try to eat it,” says Culwell, who is scheduled to perform for the entire fair.
Whether attendees are seeking water or fire, the fair delivers — surprises included.
“I enjoy when patrons dress up and come interact with us. We had a reverse mermaid one year — that was delightful,” she says. “The unpredictability is sort of the best part.”
Rock Creek, 440-474-4280,
