New Review for "The Balloon Gardener"

http://www.uktheatre.net/magazine/read/the-balloon-gardener-at-norden-farm-centre-for-the-arts-maidenhead_982.html

February Shows

The first two "The Balloon Gardener" shows are sprouted,  grown and harvested. Two great audiences, the first at Haverhill Arts Centre, Suffolk where 114 people came out to see the show. Lovely staff, great audience and I really enjoyed myself.
There was a great spread in the local paper and they came up with...

"A highly visual fusion of top-notch tomfoolery and comedy chaos"
Haverhill Weekly News
The second show of the month was at Quarterhouse in Folkstone, Kent. Once again a fab turn out of 125 people. A modern venue, and a very good audience who willingly took up my offer of "Hey if you want, come and take a butterfly home"..... They were all gone by the time they left the auditorium. I think this is a keeper in the show.


I also performed at press night for the Camden People's Theatre Sprint festival press launch. Although I didn't perform anything from the show and did my cabaret act there was this great write up 

"Have you ever seen a slightly balding, slightly round looking, thick rimmed-glasses-wearing man immerse himself into a rubber balloon? Oh you have? Then I need not to talk about Danny & his amazing balloons, a slapstick, clown showing, balloon bursting performance by Circo Ridiculoso. Whether born into a balloon factory, or just bored at work, Ridiculoso knows how to crack a smile on any glum audience by his balloon manipulating skills. It’s good to see something that doesn’t take a lot of brain cells to enjoy."

 Ayoungertheatre.com

So thank you for that!


Upcoming March 2011 shows  include...

13 - The Arc, Trowbridge, Wiltshire - Show at 3pm
19 - Camden People's Theatre, London - 2.30pm & 7.30pm
27 - Discovery Centre, Winchester, Hampshire - Show at 2pm

Spring Tour of The Balloon Gardener

The Balloon Gardener on Tour 2011

Danny will be heading out on tour with his brand new show “The Balloon Gardener”. Danny the Wild Balloon tamer has run out of balloons and must grow his own. The tamer turns gardener. Seeds of hilarity are sown as Danny attempts to cultivate bold, colourful, latex shapes in pots. The plot thickens with problem pests, wacky weather and weeds you have never even dreamed of. Contemporary clowning puts the rubber into shrubbery; this fool for flowers creates an organic garden of delights. Blooming marvellous!

February

21 - Haverhill Arts Centre, Haverhill, Cambridgeshire show 2pm    

27 - Quarterhouse, Folkestone show 2.30pm                               

March

13 - The Arc, Trowbridge, Wiltshire - Show at 3pm                       

19 - Camden People's Theatre, London - two shows tbc              

27 - Discovery Centre, Winchester, Hampshire - Show at 2pm     

April

10 - Watermans Arts Centre, Brentford, Middlesex - Show at 3pm

May

7 - Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury, Kent - Show at 2pm             

8 - Artsdepot, North Finchley, London - Shows at 12pm & 3pm    

14 - Lincoln Performing Arts Centre, Lincoln - Show at 3pm          

June

2 & 3  - Norden Farm, Maidenhead two shows per day tbc            

July 

17 - Barnsley Civic, Barnsley, Yorkshire - Show at 2.30pm       

Theatre Royal Margate

Greeted by my posters !

On Saturday I performed on the oldest stage that is still used in the country. Its the second oldest theatre in England. Here is their website http://www.theatreroyalmargate.com. Its a beautiful Victorian three tiered theatre, an absolute pleasure to perform in. I performed my show on the shoulders of giants who were there before me, the likes of Charlie Chaplin. It was an honour.

Lighter Than Air set on Stage with Star Cloth!

The audience were lovely and I had great fun picking on a mum with a handbag full of noisy sweet wrappers. They all had a great time, as did I. The staff were very welcoming and friendly, a big thanks to all of you. I met my first person allergic to latex, she had to stay away from the balloons otherwise she would inflate like one and turn red, then blue. Luckily nothing happened on that front.

All the photos were taken on my phone.

Stage view of Theatre Royal Margate

Apparently there are ghosts in the theatre and people interested in the paranormal often visit the venue to take readings, feel the spirits and more. However I didn't see any, but if there were some I hope they enjoyed my show too!

NEW show!!!

Danny Schlesinger of Circo Ridiculoso is making his second balloon show "The Balloon Gardener". Danny will be creating the new indoor balloon show funded by Arts Council England and supported by Camden People's Theatre. The new show will be for theatres and arts venues for everyone over 3 years old and will be about 50 minutes long.

Danny the Wild Balloon tamer has run out of balloons and must grow his own. Seeds of hilarity are sown as Danny attempts to cultivate bold, colourful, latex shapes in pots. The plot thickens with problem pests, wacky weather and weeds you have never even dreamed of. Contemporary clowning puts the rubber into shrubbery; this fool for flowers creates an organic garden of delights. Blooming marvellous!

Preview dates: 

Camden People's Theatre 8th October 7pm, 9th October 3pm and 7.30pm

http://www.cptheatre.co.uk/event_details.php?sectionid=home&eventid=385&searchid=current

Blue Elephant Theatre 24th October 1pm and 3pm

http://www.blueelephanttheatre.co.uk/trumpety-trump-balloon-gardener

The Balloon Gardener will be available to tour from Spring 2011.

From Danny's previous show "Lighter than Air"

"Thanks to simple but effective stagecraft, a healthy dose of natural charisma and a real flair for comic timing, Lighter than Air is an undoubted joy for all the family." 

The Scotsman  ****

"Charming, poetic, and skillful as it is silly, both full of heart and absolutely hilarious." 

Amanda Huotari, Celebration Barn Theater, Maine USA

"A joy from start to finish"  

Mark Murphy, Flip Flop International Children's Theatre Festival, Dublin, Ireland

For more details http://www.circoridiculoso.co.uk/"

Spring Update

Danny has completed his Spring tour of Lighter than Air 2010 playing across the country. Tewksbury, Farnham - Hants, Winchester, Ipswich, East Kilbride, Isle of Wight, and Stockton on Tees. Great, enthusiastic audiences everywhere.

         Danny has taught Clown to Business Link workers in a collaborative project with Central School of Speech and Drama. Hard working and keen business people made the task pleasurable and interesting!

         Early May, Danny will be returning to the Cal Clown School in the foothills of the Pyrenees, Spain to teach students of Clown. He's looking forward to it!

         May also sees the R & D of the next indoor show for Circo Ridiculoso. In addition Danny is preparing  an outdoor show for summer events! See Danny climb into a giant Balloon!
Busy Busy!

Its been a while...

So it been too long since my last post.

The Irish tour finished very well with invitations to come back with a new show. Then I went to Spain to perform my show at the Clown School, Cal Clown, near Gerona. At the end of November it was amazing weather with daytime temperatures of  20 degrees and beautiful sunshine. The show worked very well with a Spanish audience, or Catalan. I then taught the clown students for a few days and that was good fun too.

Christmas came a went with some great balloon twisting gigs around the country.

And now its 2010.... February.

I begin my Spring Tour on Wednesday. I just hope it doesn't snow.