UK Theatre Network

Children’s entertainers are among the most important people in theatre.

Because of them a child may go on to enjoy a lifetime of theatregoing or they may never want to experience it again.

And yet children’s entertainers get little recognition. Many people disregard a 45-minute show for four-year-olds as ‘simple’ and having no substance, and the performer as on the bottom rung of the ladder, not experienced enough to do the ‘serious stuff’. Yet it can be the hardest job in the world to engage little ones for any length of time and great skill is needed to keep them entertained.

As Circo Ridiculoso, Danny Schlesinger is a master of his art. A graduate of Circomedia circus school and Ecole Lassadd in Brussels, where he studied for two years, his work also includes cabaret and workshops and as an actor he was the star of the short Norwegian film Sniffer, which won many awards including the best short film at Cannes 2006.

But as Danny, the Wild Balloon Tamer, his attempts to grow balloons in pots has his young (and not so young) audiences totally enthralled and giggling within seconds – with no words, just a cheeky, expressive face, a few grunts and sighs, a couple of wayward caterpillars and a myriad of butterflies.

It’s a feast of physical and visual tomfoolery which undoubtedly opens the doors to a lifetime of the fantastic world of make-believe – the theatre! And, on a more serious note, shows such as this are cheap to stage and therefore a mainstay for arts centres like Norden Farm, whose grants are being cut.

Danny and his shows can be seen on:

June 11: Holloway Arts Festival, Islington

June 25 Maltings, Farnham

July 17 Barnsley Civic

July 21-23 iTeatri del Mondi International Children’s Festival, Italy

July 30-31 Big Cheese Festival, Caerphilly

August 13 Norwich Puppet Theatre