Creature Comforts

I haven't got any circus skills at all. I can't juggle...

I can't throw the knife at the lady...

I can't tame the lion...

and I can't crack the whip...

or jump into the small bucket.

I can't do any of those things.

The thing that excites me about performing is that...

it's a release of any tensions that you might have inside you.

I'm not sure if it excites me anymore, or if it's just the money.

It does me. The thing that excites me about performing...

is the fact that you're doing something good, you're making people laugh.

-Except the ones that walk off. -Except the ones that walk off.

It's a kind of two-way thing, seeing people enjoy...

and connecting with them. You know what I mean?

I kind of like that about it.

You've got to communicate with the audience...

but not look at them, because you are apart from them...

and it would break the illusion.

I normally try and interact with an audience...

but with 800 it becomes really difficult. But I actually think I managed.

And that's an amazing feeling...

to just see that you're making an impact.

I was doing a job in Brighton recently, and that had a real buzz about it.

And then I was in Suffolk, or somewhere like that, doing an agricultural show...

and people had come to look at the cows.

I had to stand on one leg and do a raspberry.

Go ass over whatsit in front of 250 people.

And I bonked my head. I thought I was a goner.

And I heard them, as I hit the floor, go...

And it was weird, 'cause I took off.

I just flew!

I was just so embarrassed. I was like:

"No, I'm fine. Just get back on. Back."

We spent a huge amount of time, when we were on the road, exercising.

We would stay up all night long practicing our handstands.

We used to spend hours balancing and tumbling...

helping each other I earning tricks...

and use our bicycles, that sort of thing.

I can do nothing like that.

I can't even juggle.

Nor can I. I can do it with two things, but not with three.

That's not really juggling, is it?

No, it's just chucking stuff up in the air, isn't it?

Apart from doing a bit of stretching and yoga...

trying to get my foot behind my neck and stuff like that...

just to kind of loosen the old gizzards...

Everyone used to get down and do:

"Bang out 20. Drop and give me 20."

So we used to do that.

And then all stick our knuckles together like loads of bravadery...

blokey business, and put your knuckles together and go...

Things like that, really.

You need to warm all those areas up...

your body and then moving on to your voice. And I'd start to hum, like...

And there's opening your voice, and going...

In Tooting, two tutors astute, tried to toot to a duke on a flute.

That kind of thing. It's all kind of croaking out.

But it opens up your voice.

It relaxes and strengthens your vocal cords.

It warms everything up.

I don't find the clowns funny.

I do begrudge them coming on. I find it quite insulting.

No, what I enjoy about clowns... I think they're very talented, actually...

because when clowns get together at the circus...

they can do things that are very funny.

Like they can throw custard pies at each other, and things...