When Dan the Hat was still at school, his reports read “should concentrate more on the books and less of being a clown.” Someone clearly lacked the same foresight that Dan had.
“I very quickly realised that I could maybe earn a living from showing off, travelling the world and not being chained to a desk or indeed being shouted at by anyone (I hate that). I had done many, many different jobs before the performing buzz was firmly pulsing through my veins.
Though he has been performing professionally since 2003 “[he] never formally trained at a circus school.” Not that he let it stop him. In his twenty-plus years as a performer, he has worked around the globe, performing thousands of shows as a comedian, juggler and stuntman.
More than a few of those shows have come at Glastonbury Festival where Dan is a regular feature in the Theatre & Circus fields. “It’s always fun, it’s always nice to get invited back,” he says. “The crowds are up for fun, and come rain or shine the audiences will be big.”
It’s fair to say that this year will be no different and Dan is going to be incredibly busy entertaining them. “I’m performing on four different stages this year as Dan the Hat, and also performing our “Jersey Girls” cow-themed walkabout act. They are Buxom, Bovine & Beautiful. What’s not to like about doing your thing on stage at one of the biggest festivals of contemporary performing arts in the world?!”
How do you begin to plan for such a unique weekend? “Basically, try and be funny, try and get my tricks right first time and always be slightly mean to the kids.”
One of the great things about the Theatre and Circus offerings is the universality of the acts you find in the fields. That sentiment is echoed by Dan “The show works on a few levels so everyone can enjoy it. Try and engage as many people as possible and make them laugh.”
His plan for the shows is to “enjoy it, have fun and give it my all,” while he plans to check out the festival is the most Glastonbury-appropriate fashion. “I never really plan anything, I always think the best way to see Glastonbury is to bimble around and see what I happen across.”
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