Bobbo's Diary of a Clown, Part Two: Back in the Big Top!

Bobbo

Last summer saw Bobbo Roberts starring in the Circus Funtastic Summer Spectacular at Billing Aquadome in Northampton,

In this latest peek into his diary, he gives us a clown's eye view of life in the big top...

"With the school holidays approaching, most people start to think, ‘What can we do with the kids?’ Well I had other things on my mind, I’d just been sent a contract for 6 weeks back under the big top. My worry was that after last year’s prankster craze with people in rubber masks tarnishing the good name and work of us fools, would my new boss want me in my normal slap and motley (make up and costume)? I don’t wear a lot of slap anyway but I thought I’d check, as I had been working on a new look for some of my gigs at the music hall and this would give me a chance to try an even subtler look for Bobbo.

Bobbo sets off
circus style

I grabbed my new costume: a lovely grey number that sets me apart from the stereotypical brightly coloured clown look, and started to pack my cases. I got to thinking as I was packing, ‘I wonder who will be there?’ as most times I turn up, there's always someone I know. With so many years in circus under my belt and my family being in the business, you can always rely on meeting at least one old friend or family member. So I said goodbye to my wife and kids, knowing I’d be seeing them in a couple of weeks when they come to join me on this new adventure, and made my way to the train station. I must have made quite the sight with multiple suitcases riding a unicycle to the train station. Although I was leaving my house I felt like I was going home.

The Big Top in Billing Aquadome

Being on the train gives you time to think, so I was busy writing notes on my upcoming performance. It was a very pleasant journey but I couldn't help thinking of all the towns we passed, seeing the names and remembering being there with my dad’s own show and  the other shows I've been on. I remembered little bits of what happened there, if the business was good and if there was any good book shops and chovey shops (second hand shops).

Hand balancing

I arrived at Northampton, my new but old home as lot of my ancestors had came from there and nearby. As most of you know, I’m a Roberts and a Fossett too. I got picked up by Josh Mack, my new boss. We both knew of each other but had never met. We both grew up in the circus, though, so as we drove to the tober (circus ground) we were chatting ten to the dozen about people we both knew.

As we arrived and passed through the gates he explained the venue had been double booked and they had another event happening, so we were not going to get built up and open on the day they had planned. We did get the big top up the next day but  by golly it was so hot and took a bit longer then normal. Luckily there was a pub nearby and they kept us topped up with lovely jugs of ice water.
There were a few acts to yet to arrive, but we got the tent up and wagons in place around the tent (someone once said cowboy style).

Original aerial apparatus

There’s not many jobs where you can walk from your home to your office in seconds. I suppose that’s one of the many things I love about circus. As I took a walk for the first time into the big top and set about getting my light and music cues sorted, some of the other acts started to turn up, like the Garcia sisters whose family, like mine, are the backbone of many a circus. The vast array of different acts they do adds to the stew pot of a successful show. In this one they were doing a magic act and an exercise ball act with acrobatics that I saw last time I worked with them on Charles and Rebecca Chipperfield’s Bollywood-style circus. They were also doing a Slinky act, and one of the girls was doing a trapeze act but with a giant spring prop that can only be described as a big version of one of those big twisted stakes that you use to leash your dog on. I've not seen it before but it was very nice and it gave Kelly lots of moves to do from walking up and down it to toe-hanging.

The other acts we had on the show were a couple who did a roller skating act & a rola rola act, both very nice acts with lovely costumes. We had a lovely young Swiss girl doing two aerial acts. Both were very good strong acts. And a Bulgarian who did a hula hoop act that she on a walking globe while going up a very large ramp. She normally performed this as two acts but this time combined it into one act which always got the audience cheering and clapping.

Hula hoops and globe

A Hungarian man did aerial straps, with costume and music from the film Spider-Man. He did many poses and tricks and normally the case in these acts is the kids get bored but he kept them engaged for his whole act. His second act was a hand balance act using blocks, using two hands and one hand, and as my brother-in-law has done this act I understand just how hard it is..

Completing the show were two of our youngest performers 14 and 15-year-old Enrique and Diego - strange names but their dad was a maths teacher (he-he!). Their first act was in mascot costumes having a dance-off to all the crazy dance moves from the classics to modern ones like the floss. I prefer candy floss, but it went very well. The brothers had an agreement: every day the audience chose the winner of the dance-off and the brothers kept track of who won the most throughout the season. At the end of the season whoever won had to buy the other a gift of their own choosing. It was always fun to watch as the boys was giving it their all. Their second act was a comedy trampoline act done in the style of the Blues Brothers, costume and music all matched the themes in a well thought out act that used the music to great effect.

The cast with children from a local blind school
who enjoyed the sounds and smell of the circus

They also had some clown called Bobbo (that some of you may have heard of). I never got to see his act as I was always busy in the ring when he was on, but I think the audience enjoyed it. My gags were very short but to the point. That is all I need to make an impact, though. Sometimes I wore my full make-up and sometimes I didn’t, but every day I wore a red nose and big boots. If you’re a fellow clown you should try without make up one day. It’s not easy but it is fun to try. I’ve only recently started working without the slap but now I love doing both. It was great to be back in the ring and I had a fab time being back in the business I know and love, working with lots of like minded people, and having lots of barbeques. It was very caveman-like as we all sat around a fire talking and laughing.  We were all from different backgrounds and countries but each of us had two things in common: we want to perform and we love circus."

Bobbo on Clacton Pier
in 2017

For more insights into life in the big top, click here to read Part One of Bobbo's Diary: Chovy Shops and Unicycles.