1980’s
As a 7 year old girl I walked the short walk from my house down to the Glen Urquhart Public Hall in Drumnadrochit. I was full of nerves and excitement to see my first ever performance on stage. As I crossed the road I saw the most brightly painted bus I had ever seen, it said ‘The Clown Jewels’ on the side. I usually went to the hall for Christmas parties and school discos, but I had never seen anything like this in my life. There were clowns running up through the audience, people jumping about the stage, there was so many lights, colours and sounds it was a bit scary (but in the way kids enjoy.) I completely forgot where we were, the place transformed into somewhere out of this world. They were loud, crazy and unforgettable. Every time I saw that bus pull up I would be so excited (and I still am when I think about it now!)
A personal highlight for me was getting to meet Dave Smith and John McGeoch from The Clown Jewels and having a look around John’s warehouse full of masks, theatre-props, signs and sculptures. KERRY DUNCAN, Heritage Researcher for Epic Stage Story Project for The Touring Network.
This story first appeared on The Touring Network Website as an interview here
