It’s safe to say that some street performers have issues dealing with authority and having others tell them what they can and can’t do. This seems to result in two predictable outcomes. First, finding the world of street theatre provides an alternate reality where they’re able to create their own rules and build their own success. Second, the success they find from resisting conventional paths makes them work even harder to prove to the world that the choices they’ve made are worthy of the praise they get from audiences during each show.

Dave Evans walked away from school at the age of 14 having found juggling and soon there after success as a street performer in Covent Garden. Driven by both a passion for growing his skill set as well as being influenced by all of the performers on the pitch, he quickly established himself as a highly skilled practitioner of the art of street theatre worth of his moniker - The Great Dave!

David Aiken caught up with Dave during the 2017 Dubai Marina Mall Street Performer’s Festival to discuss everything from pitch politics in covent garden to working in ensembles to mini tents to how ‘theatrical’ and powerful street theatre can actually be if you’re willing to play to perform and to focus on things other than money.

If you haven’t listened to the short story ‘Broken' which we presented as Episode 88 in which Dave talks about breaking his back during a crazy night of hijinks with Jonathan Taylor from the Daredevil Chicken Club, we’d encourage you to check out that episode first before diving into this one as it’s all very much a part of Dave’s journey.