ROLL UP, roll up. There are not many circuses owned and directed by clowns. Zippo’s is one of them and now the Popolinos musical clowns have launched their own show called Circus Wonderland, which opens on Good Friday at the Canford Magna garden centre, Magna Road, Poole.

Mr Popol is the elegant, sophisticated white-faced clown who never gets wet or receives a custard pie to the face.

Kakehole is the auguste clown with the big boots and red nose who comes in and causes chaos and mayhem while Mr Popol tries to keep order and play his music.

These two have been working together as a duo for ten years. Kakehole took the classic route and ran away to join the circus when he was a child, but he did get back to school.

By 16, he joined the travelling life for good and never looked back.

Mr Popol has a background in the theatre and magic before teaming up with Kakehole to create a traditional musical clown double act. The Popolinos play a variety of muiscal instruments including trumpet, xylophone, concertina, whistles and bottles.

They spend their spare time creating new routines, props and costumes and this year Mr Popol is wearing a new glittering coat with more than 200,000 sequins that took him 18 months to sew. During their time with another circus, the Popolinos launched a campaign to combat coulrophobia, the fear of clowns. They invite anyone with a genuine fear to come to the Big Top for clown therapy or ‘clowncilling’ sessions. They are the current holders of the Best Circus Comedy Act award.

Now in 2012 they are opening their own show after two years preparation.

You can see the result of all their effort when they come to Poole from April 6-9.