Small boats come and go, the seagull's song echoes on the wind and a clown riding a unicycle and carrying a mermaid balanced precariously on a circus pole carefully makes his way across a tight rope that spans from cliff to cliff across the cove.

The Bash Street Theatre Group have been together since 1991, when they first descended onto the unsuspecting public at "Les Arts dans la Rue" international street festival in Morlaix, France. An exotic blend of sketches, circus skills, live music, amazing and often daring feats and silent comedy has proven to be a winning formula which the company has been refined and expanding for over a decade.

Bash Street claims to have performed to over 300,000 people both old and young and have taken their unique and inventive brand of circus-theatre everywhere from Aberdeen to Aberystwyth, Leeds to London, Penzance, where the group is based, to Poland and even as far as Japan and Hong Kong.

The group's two co-founders both come from very unusual and different backgrounds. Simon Pullum, who joined the Cornwall theatre company in 1982, previously trained to be a journalist. After learning his trade he later moved on co-found Jo's Jungle Band, a radical street theatre group, and began developing his wide repertory of musical and circus skills.

In 1991 Simon teamed up with up and coming dancer JoJo Pickering, who had just completed a round the world sailing trip, and they co-founded the Bash Street Theatre Group. As their reputation and flare grew so did their pool of talent. Russell Hurd, previously a member of Zippo's Circus and veteran of touring with Cap`n Bob's Circus, added his acrobatic and juggling talents to medley of bizarre antics.

Some of their work includes updates of modern classics, such as their hilarious rendition of Frankenstein, which draws to a totally madcap conclusion of epic comic-horror proportions. There's also a whole host of colourful characters to meet, including the groups own security force; Bash Street Bobbies. These local `bobbies` adhere to the spirit of the community and are willing to go a little further beyond the call of duty than most regular officers, washing windows and handing out speeding tickets to pedestrians and parking fines to anybody stood dordalling.

The Bash Street Company is independently run and a non-profit making organisation. Being a member of the Cornwall Theatre Umbrella and the Independent Theatre Council has allowed them to receive funding from South West Arts since 1997, allowing them to concentrate on their art rather than being forced to jump through hoops for need of a much duller, commercial appealing circus routine.

For more information log on to www.bashstreet.co.uk and check it out!