Big Top Festival, @Southport2026

Clown Family - A Walkabout / Pop-Up Performance

Director: Richard Talbot

Producer: Gina Hutchinson

Event: Big Top Festival, Southport

Dates: Saturday 2 May – Sunday 3 May 2026

Times:

Saturday 2nd May

Biscuits - Market Street - 15.15-15.25

Crackers - Nevill Street - 16.15-16.25

Sunday 3rd May

Biscuits - Nevill Street - 13.00-13.10

Crackers - Market Street - 13.30-13.40

Biscuits - Market Street - 16.00-16.10

Locations:

Market Street ↔ Nevill Street ↔ Prince of Wales Hotel ↔ Market Street (see marked up map, Call Sheet

and RAMS)

Performance Description

Clown Family is a walkabout clown performance created for Southport town-centre outdoor stage areas (can adapt to raised stages or on ground level performance, or a combination). A group of 7 clowns move together between Prince of Wales Hotel (Green Room), Market Street and Nevill Street, stopping to interact with the public. On arrival at stages they will present short, playful and improvised clowning.

The work is:

• Family-friendly

• No physical contact with the public

• No direct public participation within the performance activity other than verbal interaction

• Responsive to stage, audience, weather, site conditions

• Public interaction consists of posing for photos and light visual engagement only.

BISCUIT FAMILY

BISCUIT-BERRINGTON - Abbie Goate

CONSTANT - Beth Wedgewood (Jemma Mcdowall to understudy for Beth W on Sunday)

BIFTY - Bethany Hill

BILLY - TJ

ALL parade in front of and then in a circle on "stage" - giraffe, gorilla, splay feet etc

BISCUITS take position at back of stage

RINGMASTER MR CRACKER: "Ladies & Gentlemen The Biscuit Family"

MR CRACKER goes into audience

BISCUITS: each speak one slow word in wonder Beautiful; Amazing; Sunny; Southport

MR CRACKER: (Very Loud) Hello

BISCUITS: (Very Loud) Hello

MR CRACKR: What’s your name?

BISCUITS all speak at once then one after another

MR CRACKER: Where are you from?

BISCUITS try to speak together (facing front)

MR CRACKER:What do you eat for breakfast?

BISCUITS: one word "Eggs; Porridge" etc BISCUIT-BERRINGTON makes sounds like a coffee pot

MR CRACKER:The Biscuits now present the chair game

CONSTANT: 5 MINUTES! (BISCUITS sit on cases)

CONSTANT: Tête! (BISCUITS look)

CONSTANT: Jambe! (BISCUITS look and move legs in syncopated rhythm and not in unison)

CONSTANT: Debout! (One BISCUIT stands)

CONSTANT: Assis! (One BISCUIT sits)

MR CRACKER: "Billy Biscuit recites Shakespeare"

BILLY recites

BIFTY tries to steal BILLY's hankie, BILLY freezes

BILLY continues reciting

BIFTY tries to steal BILLY's hankie again BILLY freezes

BILLY continues reciting BIFTY acts melodramatic

BISCUIT-BERRINGTON blocks, pauses then pats head rubs tummy - BILLY and BIFTY pause

BILLY tries to move, BISCUIT-BERRINGTON moves to block BILLY, it becomes a game

BILLY: "Hoppit!"

BISCUIT-BERRINGTON stands on one leg, hops off

BILLY and BIFTY continue

tries her speciality forward roll with greco-roman pose

BISCUIT-BERRINGTON gets onto her feet, wiggles bum, wipe knees and stays bent over

CONSTANT: "Time Up!"

BILLY kicks BISCUIT-BERRINGTON

BILLY chases BISCUIT-BERRINGTON begins in a circle

ALL CLOWNS join the circle and run off

BILLY See The Cracker Family in Market/Nevill Street

ALL leave quickly

CRACKER FAMILY

MR CRACKER - Sean Robinson

PETE - Jemma McDowall

LIZO - Liza Bleakley

ALL parade in front of, then onto "stage" - giraffe, gorilla, chicken,

ALL CRACKERS take position centre stage

BILLY Ringmaster: "Ladies & Gentlemen The Cracker Family"

CRACKERS:"Beautiful"; "Amazing"; "Southport"

BILLY: (from amongst the audience) Hel-lo!

CRACKERS: Hel-lo!

BILLY: What is your name?

CRACKERS all say their names together, then say them individually one after another

BILLY Where are you from?

BISCUITS try to speak together (facing front)

CONSTANT: (Indicating watch) 5 minutes!

BIFTY: The Cracker family will now Clap 7 times. Together!

CRACKERS face forward when clapping, if there's a mistake look at each other, restart

BIFTY: The Cracker family will now Clap 6 times. And 1 time silently. Together!

BIFTY: "Ladies & Gentlemen ...Lizo!"

LIZO delicately tries one Poy swing, testing what they like

MR CRACKER: (e.g.) This man wants his money back (etc)

LIZO tries tap dance

MR CRACKER: (e.g.) This lady likes you (etc)

LIZO builds quickly to extravagant Poy/Tap dancing

BIFTY also chats with individual audience

BIFTY - "Ladies & Getlemen ... Mr Cracker!"

MR CRACKER Scarf juggling/shoe cleaning

PETE upstages MR CRACKER with a HULA HOOP

CONSTANT (Pointing at watch) Time !

MR CRACKER stuffs PETE in a suitcase

MR CRACKER does one circuit of the stage picking up ALL the other clowns

ALL follow and run round in a circle before leaving

BILLY See The Biscuit Family in Market/Nevill Street

ALL Leave quickly