A quick chat with… the Splash Test Dummies
By Michael Baumanis, 11 Jan 2020
Heading over for another Fringe World adventure, we sat down with Simon; one third of Dummies Corp and asked him a few questions ahead of their Splash Test Dummies Fringe World shows.
Take us back to the moment when you decide to quit your day job and dedicate yourself entirely to becoming a full time performer, when was this and what happened?
When I was at school mum bought me a unicycle as a Christmas present (I was the highly energetic kid) and after spending my school holidays learning to master the unicycle I would ride it to school and when my friends saw me riding a unicycle they thought it was the coolest thing. I really liked the kudos. I then saw a street performer called the Amazing Mr Fish doing a show riding a unicycle kicking a Gold Fish into a fish bowl balanced on his head and I thought to myself that the stunt was not just amazing but that he got to travel the world making people laugh and have for his job. After that moment I knew I wanted to be like him doing funny stunts and making people laugh.
Tell us about Splash Test Dummies, where did the idea for the show come from?
Splash Test Dummies started off as a joke at a water park we were performing our 1st show Trash Test Dummies at Perth at the time and had a day off at the slides and we joked “who was the fastest Splash Test Dummie” as we raced down the water slides. Then our next season at Adelaide Fringe we had a pool at our accommodation and the pool was so narrow that I could do a plank across the pool and the other guys could walk across me and do handstands. We thought this was hilarious and that “Splash” should be the theme to our next show. The rest was history.
What the most challenging circus trick you’re yet to master?
I am per-suing learning two things the first is a “triple threat” skill in the circus world. Where I ride a unicycle, balance a stick on my nose and juggle at the same time.
The second is a cooperative trick where one of the Dummies stands on my head and I ride the unicycle. I’ve only seen this trick performed by another unicycle pair and they are in Cirque Du Soliel.
Splash in to one of their shows at the Big Top at The Woodside Pleasure Garden from 21 January to 2 February. *No show 28 January
Grab your tickets here.
