A Sideshow used to be all the acts that didn’t fit into the circus; they were where you found the strange and unusual.
These days sideshows have grown up a bit, they're still slightly strange and unusual, but also fun, funny and friendly. Festival Director of the World Sideshow Festival Shep Huntly is excited to bring his Sideshow to his old home town of Ballarat next month. “ I always knew I wanted to bring something back to Ballarat, I have used 20 years of experience and all my connections to bring back the best thing I could possibly bring, a festival full of world-class shows.”
Erik Sprague - The Lizardman
Set beneath beautiful gothic architecture the World Sideshow Festival will become a major event on the region’s calendar. Theatre goers, circus lovers, sideshow fans and everyone with an eye for the extraordinary is going to have their tongue-twisted in a speechless-rendering way.
“We have programmed some of Australia’s most successful sideshow exports like The Space Cowboy, who holds more Guinness World Records than any other Australian and 'The Dark Party' featuring Ballarat-boy Paddy Bath, there really is something for everyone,” Shep says.
Chayne Hultgren – The Space Cowboy
Travelling the world with his Sideshow friends, Shep is all too used to the exhaustion and crazy mood swings jet lag so kindly gifts jet setters. Here is his pro-tip guide to fight off that lethargic bug and catch the travel bug instead:
Standing on your head
They say standing on your head changes the pressure on your pituitary gland and this has a direct effect on jet lag. I tried it one year, as the plane stopped at some Asian airport for re-fuelling and all the other passengers stretched their legs, I was upside down guy surrounded by a pile of loose change. In London I felt slightly better than if I didn’t do the handstand.Verdict: Dubious but worth a try.
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Drinking heavily
A lot of my friends say, contrary to doctors advice, drinking on the plane is the best way to cure jet lag. Every time the drinks cart passes grab a double, and take some duty free on board for those long lonely hours when the drinks cart is absent. When you arrive you will have such a prodigious hangover you won’t even notice something as insignificant as jet lag.Verdict: effective if you have three days to recover at the other end.
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Setting your body clock to the time at destination
Some fastidious travellers swear by setting their watches to the time at the destination. On the plane these are extra annoying ones, reading light on, fidgeting all the time and walking laps while everyone else is asleep.Verdict: I have no evidence to suggest it works or doesn’t work, but it seems like bullshit.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone released by the body when it’s time to sleep. You can’t buy it in Australia but if you have a stopover – even 40 mins in Asia – get yourself some. Taken at night when you get to your destination this stuff is really effective.Verdict: Really good, don’t know why it’s illegal!
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Sleeping Pills
After the meal, put your ear plugs in, have a strong sleeping pill, pull your eye patches down and let the pharmaceuticals do their job. You should sleep for 12 hours. Then, after the stopover do the same again. When you wake up second time you’ll be on the other side of the world fresh as a daisy.Verdict: Brilliant, better living through chemistry.
The World Sideshow Festival plays the Ballarat Mechanics Institute 21-23 May.
