I started when I went to the Sydney olympics for another job, it didn't happen so I stayed and made some equipment for my show at the Rainbow Circus. I made 10 minute shows with acrobatics and comedy.

When and how did you start street performing?

I started when I went to the Sydney olympics for another job, it didnt happen so I stayed and made some equipment for my show at the rainbow circus. I made 10 minute shows with acrobatics and comedy.

Is it your first time in Spain? How was it?

Yup the first time performing in Europe. I like Spain. It was great to perform at the festivals, better than the street, but I like the street too, its more tourists, but the local atmosphere is good to get to know.

What do you think of Barcelona as a place to street perform?

It is interesting, lots of tourists, police hassle you, and its is generally weird to work on La Ramblas. Junkies, beggars, the haunched over shaking woman walking on the fringe of your show, Michael Jackson, the limbless, the police again. Ummmg... its a big city.

What inspired your show? Can you tell us about it?

I like pole and I tried it on the street in a small town festival It was great, but I didnt have any crowd skills. So first I made a handbalancing show for the street and did it for about a year, then I made what I am using today.
The show is acrobatic,chinese style on the pole. It is a 5 metre pole . I climb to the top and throw some flying things into the audience and make some jokes with props. I juggle plastic ducks and the finale is I dive headfirst into the bucket of duckies! It is a street show so there are lots of jokes and gags in between. I like the small parts the most, the parts with children. Pole acrobatics looks amazing and it has great comic aspects,so I take advantage of that.

 

Where did you learn circus skills and comedy routines?

I have learnt a lot lf skills at Australian and Tasmanian circus festivals and have trained myself a lot. I have trained with Rock and Roll circus in Brisbane.
Most of the training comes from finding people and places that are inspiring and doing it. Brisbane has a great circus community
I have done some clown courses but most of the comedy is things I think are funny. Something stupid that you try to make everybody believe is really good. I have lots of inspiring friends also. It is trial and error on the street, manipulating situations, letting things happen easily, keeping it rolling, keeping it interesting.

 What kind of shows do you like? Do you like some particular performers?

I like lots of kinds of shows. Puppets, acrobatics, juggling, improvisation. I generally dont like fire shows and shows that try to be beautiful and graceful.
I something about most everything.
Performers I particularly like......there are a lot. Most recently Daniel Oldaker from Australia, impro artist. Loco Brusca I met in Barcelona, he is great. And too many to mention, Australian and otherwise. There are lots lf artists from Argentina that are very good. The street is a funny place to work and the style cahnges from place to place. I like the different approahes people take.

Can you tell us about Australia as a place to street perfrom? Some points or festivals?

There are festivals in Australia. And the street is good...ummmn,its hard to work the street in Australia, thats why Australian street performers are tough..
The Adelaide international fringe festival is a great Fest., but street show wise there is the Coffs Harbour festival, Freemantle buskers festival, ummm New Zealand has a festival of busking. There are festivals all over the place but not as many big or interesting as in Europe.

Do you enjoy your job as a busker?

Yup, or I would stop. Sometimes it feels like the best job you could have, but you have to be able to perform when you dont really feel like it. I try to trick myself into it in this case, try a new idea.

What do you want to do in the near future?

I would like to do some theatre, music, dance, more street shows, some wierd little things. I want to come back to Europe next year and have some variety. Doing one show gets a bit tiring. I never know what I am going to do, but I would like to make a show with some friends very son. A circus show that is a bit wierd, but with good skills. I have seen so many shows with big props and lots of equipment, but thay cant perform and they have limited skills...At festivals I am often diassapointed by shows that I see.It has inspired me.

Tell us something for eternity...

La vida es bonita.......but it truly is huh?...its cool. Life is so cool!