Forget bog rolls and petrol, Northern Ireland is suffering from a shortage of... clowns!
The news comes from David Duffy, co-owner of Duffy's Circus, as Northern Irish circuses return to the road after the lifting of lockdown restrictions, several months of after big tops elsewhere.
"Because the circuses in England and Europe have been operational for the past six months, that huge pool of EU artists are already back at work and we haven't been able to get visas for non-EU artists," said Duffy, who has resorted to advertising for trainee clowns without experience.
"We're trying to reach out to any folks who feel that they could give it a go," he said.
So what does it take to be a Joey?
You have to be really adaptable and able to think on your feet, said the circus boss.
"When you go into a circus ring and you've got 700 or 800 people looking at you, then no matter what sort of mood you're in you have to light up that circus ring.
"A clown can be the loneliest place, because you're in there on your own and you have to be able to read your audience. In a few short minutes you have to get a rapport going and interact with them and feed off them."
In England, meanwhile, the Circus of Horrors has adapted to the fuel crisis by having Anastasia Sawicka pull her van to a filling station with her hair - a publicity stunt that got the show's current tour into the national press.
The Horrors also called on their KillerKlown to scare panic buyers away from the pumps!
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