SWORD swallowers, aerial acrobats, a woman swinging from the ceiling by her hair – the Circus of Horrors is bringing it all to Gravesend, with a healthy dose of gothic shocks and rock n roll.
The show – described by Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden as being “like The Rocky Horror Show, but on Acid” – is headed for The Woodville on December 1.
The show’s literature says if you imagine Quentin Tarantino directing Circe du Soleil you will be half way there.
Evil ringmaster Dr Haze said: “It’s an alternative rock and roll circus, it’s unique. It’s the only thing of it’s kind in the world.”
Dr Haze, real name John, set up the circus at Glastonbury 18 years ago expecting it to be a flash in the pan. He had come from a circus family but left it behind to pursue a career in a rock band and saw the chance to marry to two together.
He said: “When we first started, people thought it might not be their cup of tea. After continuous touring and lots of TV shows and stuff like that people started to recognise us as a brand.
“People really like us and we try to reinvent ourselves each year. It’s not like the Rocky Horror Show where they are stuck to doing the Time Warp and Sweet Transvestite every time they go out.
“We can vary our songs, we can vary our acts, we can vary our stories. We’re not stuck to one particular thing. We try to make it a good varied show every time.”
He added: “It’s an original score and it’s all done with forked tongue firmly in cheek.”
As well as a varied show with original songs and storylines, there are also incredible death-defying acts which take years for the performers to perfect.
Dr Haze said: “Sword swallowing takes years and years and years of making yourself sick. It is not a pleasant trade to learn. You start of shoving a toothbrush down your throat. You have to get over your gag reflexes.
“There is a lot of nausea and things along the way while you’re learning it.”
The Circus of Horrors is at The Woodville, Gravesend, on Sunday, December 1. Tickets cost £16 or £20 at woodville.co.uk or 01474 337774.
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