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Grand Theatre, Swansea

Mon 27 Feb

“Hannibal Helmet, believe it or not, was a tax inspector for the German government,” says Dr Hays, the creator of Circus of Horrors in his Britain’s Got Talent audition tape – which now has half a million hits on YouTube. Cut to Hannibal Helmet, and it’s not too difficult to understand just why you may not believe this. They’re like one big family of freaks, he says, and then later grins excitedly as his co-performer goes on to swallow a sword whole and both horrify and excite the audience while DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME appears very urgently on the screen. It’s definitely the kind of thing you want to look at – but also don’t want to – and so end up peeping from between your fingers (a girl swings from the ceiling by her hair as the sword is swallowed, just to make sure a good measure of shock is being provided). Not everyone’s cup of tea, granted, but if unbearable and seemingly impossible bodily acts being performed, or just general bizarreness is your kind of thing – all of this is on show at the Grand this month. Watch their audition online if you haven’t already for a taste of the madness. As Graham Norton said “you have to go and see this. If one day something will go wrong, you will be able to say ‘I was there.’”

Tickets: £18.50 – £26.50 Info: 01792 475715 / www.swansea.gov.uk