Seven Deadly Stunts thrives on real danger

Performers Lizzie Tollemache and David Ladderman have both been burned trying to perfect fire stunts. Photo / Otago Daily Times

This may be one of those shows for which you do not want to sit in the front row.

Rollicking Entertainment's Seven Deadly Stunts in Dunedin is R16 unless accompanied by a parent, and contains chainsaw juggling, walking on broken glass, setting someone on fire, using a whip to trim small flowers held by someone's mouth, and other nail-biting experiences inspired by the life and times of Harry Houdini.

Some may say, "what could possibly go wrong?".

Christchurch-based husband and wife circus artists Lizzie Tollemache and David Ladderman say, "plenty".

The show contains the seven most notorious and deadly stunts in carnival history, and Ladderman said there had been well-trained people seriously injured and even killed doing some of the stunts in their show.

"They're all really dangerous stunts. We talk in parts about some of the people who have done these acts, and what has happened to them."

Tollemache said they had gone to great lengths to make sure they, and of course the audience, were out of harm's way.

"We never use audience volunteers.

"We've taken a lot of steps and trained for years to make sure that we're making it as safe as possible.

"But it's live - there's always a chance that something could go wrong."

It was what made the show so alluring, she said.

"I've never seen a crowd get so immediately engaged as when there is a genuine risk to the performer."

She said it was intoxicating but came at a cost. Both have been injured doing the stunts.

"We've burned and blistered our throats, our mouths and our fingers learning the fire stuff. And I've cut my feet open learning how to do the glass walk."

Ladderman said those experiences just inspired them to go back and train harder so it did not happen again.

Their hour-long show begins tomorrow night at the New Athenaeum, Dunedin, and finishes on Saturday.