Danny Chase
Actor & Circus Artist
Danny Chase is an extraordinary performer, talented actor, and skilled circus artist. Danny attended Circomedia in 2003 back when it was a 1 year course specialising in acrobatics and aerial. 19 year old Danny joined Circomedia equipped with a BTEC in performing arts. At the time there was no academic element to the course. He found himself at Circomedia due to following advice to ‘gain life experience’ before attending drama school, so he chose to enrol in circus school. With a desire to be versatile he wanted to gain a diverse range of performance skills and make himself ‘as employable a possible’. Initially applying to Circus Space, he was redirected to Circomedia, where it was suggested that his theatrical abilities would be better suited.
Q: What would you say was a highlight in your circus and acting career?
A: “Tarzan at Disney Land Paris!” A role in which he was recommended, by others, to the Circomedia media agency. The role of Tarzan entailed an aerial double straps routine with character Jane. The audition took place in Paris where he describes the audition as “one of the proudest moment of his life.”
“We were in this room and they had some straps and there was a bunch of dudes there all bigger than me, all proper circus dudes. And we went through the audition doing various things and then it got to a stage where they said show us anything you want so one by one these guys got up on straps and did like planches and strong man stuff. And I’m sat there thinking I can’t compete with this I need another angle and it came to me and I just completely ignored the straps and jumped up on the panel of judges table and started *insert ape noises* being like an ape, took off this guys glasses and interacted as if I’ve never seen glasses and it worked I jot the job. And went off to do the show for 6 months.”
Following this, at the time Danny felt he had hit his peak in his circus career and wanted to navigate his career back towards acting. Then off he goes to drama school, Artsed in London.
“Right as my time there was ending I was very lucky to be auditioned for a west end show called ‘Love never dies’ by Andrew Lloyd Webber. A sequel to Phantom of the Opera.” Danny shared about being given a role in the general ensemble and as an Acrobatic swing.
“I got super lucky because right at the end of that they were casting for the show Batman live which was this big arena show.” As before Danny only mentions his ‘luck’ and reframes to praise or even mention his talent attributing to his success in securing the role.
We discussed the ever-changing environment of the performing arts industry, the rise of cost of living and it not matching the performer change in rates and the highs and lows of being a performer.
Danny reminisced “..that’s something I really miss actually from when I left Circomedia from early circus days that feeling of doing any kind of performance work.”
Danny shared his complex feelings on once performing on the Westend came with a feeling of work after that feeling like a ‘down grade’. This sparked a conversation of the contrast to most industries of promotions not quite being an applicable concept. There will be massive highs and weird little lows or no work at all. The undulating journey not only financially but mentally. Going from being surrounded by people and sometimes the centre of focus for a project, then finding yourself suddenly alone quite isolated the very next day. One day you can be performing to thousands with lights, cameras and erupting audiences but within 24 hours you’re running a quaint sized workshop being sneezed on by children who are determined to break or hide your kit. Thats show biz!?
Danny expressed he feels the industry is more competitive now. Alongside that he feels he owes a lot of his success to luck.
“I didn’t really expect it to go anywhere, I certainly didn’t expect to become a professional circus performer….I had some job offers from the end of my year show. I didn’t have to put myself out there or do any promo work. I think I was very lucky in the regard.”
We discussed the various possibilities of the industry competitive growth that then circled round to positives in work being created, raising the standard etc. Each point we discussed came with a counter point in how it’s positively impacting the industry. We found no real conclusion.
I guess who are we to say when the challenges of employment is an individual experience and we both see a lot of our success owed to luck.
As always, I had a wonderful time talking with Danny Chase. A wide discussion of what came before, what’s is now and what we hope is yet to come. Unfortunately, I couldn’t include everything within this but I encourage you to keep an eye out on your tv screen for Danny Chase. And for now we shall end with this….
Q: What advice would you give our current students or future circus professionals?
A: Learn to tumble. It gives you good body awareness which helps you get you over fear and you will learn things quicker.
In talking about the importance of performance skills in circus: “The way you do something is AS important as what you’re doing. Whatever you’re doing commit to it.”
You can watch snippets of Danny Chase’s work over on his YouTube page and look at more of his onscreen acting on his IMDB.