As you walk into the foyer of Fairfield, you know you've come to the right place, writes Brendan Thomas.

A crazed, screaming hillbilly wielding a large wrench prowls the crowds. He was kidnapped as a baby and taken to a trailer, apparently. And he wants to talk to you.

It leaves you in no doubt that you're going be involved in something out-of-the-ordinary inside.

No sooner than you've found your seat, you're thrust into the horrible proceedings with a bang. And you're warned that you may be splattered with some blood or bodily fluids all totally harmless, of course

It's a bloody gruesome start to a shocking, abnormal, musical, disgusting and darkly comic spectacle. And it's anything but a traditional circus.

You witness the story of a young vampire and of a fiendish doctor (Haze) and a time warp.

Involved in the story are the lady in a bottle; an illuminating mutant with a bottomless stomach (Waspboy as seen on the Graham Norton TV show); Gary Stretch (he really can); the Jesuit Priest (what, no safety wire?) and a troupe of dancing skeletons.

The Circus of Horrors evolved into what it is today from a debut at the Glastonbury Festival in 1995.

It has a cult following and one of the most diverse audiences you could imagine. But the show might not be best suited to young children as it has some swearing and mild sexual and violent content, including a bloody amputation.

There are some wonderful acrobatic displays and the myriad oddities is fused with a mix of well-performed live music, with an able lead female vocalist.

The Circus of Horrors is not for the faint-hearted. And the unfortunate fate of the merchandise seller is not something you could easily forget.

January 29, 2003 15:30