The thing we love about street theatre is that it is free to the public and it is all about giving people an unexpected laugh in their day. From my own five years of experience at the Viaduct in Auckland I was able to see the change from the year 2000 when people on the streets ignored each other and street performers and went about their business without looking around, to 2004 when people flocke
d to the Viaduct in the weekends and were smiling and ready to have fun with each other. As a performer you get a great deal out of having a laugh with complete strangers and as an audience member the surprise of seeing the ridiculous in the streets can totally change your mood, liberate you from your normal reality for a while and make you more open and friendly in general to other passers by. So this is my main aim with The Public Circus – to get a bit of random laughter happening on the streets and at the public events by professionally trained and experienced character clowns with an intelligent and respectful attitude to the public.
