The Highland Joker now opened a second base in Sussex , South East England; So while some of our crew are kept busy entertaining with bubbles at New Zealand events, we also carry on performing in England and internationally.

I have already performed with bubbles at the Edinburgh Fringe as a street performer a few times, but the last summer was my first go at doing a full 4 week run with my Indoor Bubble Show, and it was intense and amazing! I was incredibly privileged to be offered a performance space by both The Assembly Festival and by The Gilded Balloon, both are two of the largest venue organizers at the Edinburgh Fringe.

I eventually decided to perform with Assembly Festival, and had a great experience working with their team, after 2 weeks of full-house performances at one of their 100-seat black box theatres at George square, I was moved to the larger Picollo, which is a 200-seat circus tent. It was wonderful performing in this venue, and I so much look forward to performing there again. The show was received very well by audiences, and I also  bubbled a lot in the streets, to promote the show and got some 5* and 4* reviews from major publications in Edinburgh City.

A Kids Entertainer At Heart

Following the festival I got some International bookings which I really love, as it combines my passion for travel with my passion for performing with bubbles. I first headed to New-Caledonia, a French island in the Pacific, where I was the featured performer at the Pikinini Festival. I also had the opportunity to perform at a local library, care home, women safe-house and some remote tribal schools, where the kids got absolutely ecstatic from the first moment, when I only just blew a single small bubble from a tube! It was a great experience.

I was then booked for a show in Qatar. It was wonderful, to go during the cold winter, to the hot Mideel-Eatern desert. I was taken to the palace of the Emir’s Uncle where I performed to some of the Royal family children and their friends. As I am called ‘The Highland Joker’, performing at this palace, I was reminded of the Jesters of old, who entertained kings and queens at royal courts, for centuries  , and felt honoured to be able to continue in this tradition.

I then received Top Kids Entertainer Award of New Zealand by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand, which is a great honour; only 10 other people ever received this award, and it’s a wonderful acknowledgment and tribute by fellow professionals, of by contribution I have made to the Entertainment industry in New Zealand.

Special Bubble Events Around The Globe

I then attended a few special events in England. One was a kids Entertainers convention, which was very informative and entertaining, the other was the Blackpool Magic Convention, which I actually really enjoyed! While I do not perform professionally as a magician, I do love magic, and I do use some magic effects in my bubble shows; it was great meeting Famous magicians that use bubbles, such as Losander and Mirko, as well as attending lectures, shows and buying some great magic products. Finally I attended Bubble Con, which took place in Newcastle, where I was asked to be the compère of an evening Bubble Cabaret show involving many artists. Following Bubble Con, the Association of International Bubble Artistes (AOIBA) was formed and I took an active roll by becoming the association Secretary working closely with legendary bubble masters such as Tom Noddy who is AOIBA President and others.

After all this work, I treated myself to a Bubbler’s beach vacation, where a few of us bubble artists gathered in Manzanillo, Mexico, for a week having some great time bubbling to the locals as well as having some good relaxing time drinking coconuts and enjoying the sun!