It's a real balancing act

After journeying about two-thirds of the way around the world, one of the more dramatic moments in a very long, strange trip took place May 23 at — of all places — Buist Academy.

That's where the members of Sprockets, a traveling troupe of circus performers, got their final shot at hustling their way onto the 2007 Piccolo Spoleto program. And the drama? Without permission to set up their show in a large public space, this international family act wouldn't be able to make enough money to get their engine repaired.

But first the backstory: Performer- comedian-adventurer Scott Harrison met his partner-girlfriend-mother-of-his-child-to-be a little more than a decade ago at his home in Bath, England. Like Harrison, Izzy Seraud was a talented juggler and acrobat with a sense of humor and adventure. They clicked and began touring around Europe.

"And then we got bored of the traveling (on the European circuit)," Harrison said. "Well, not bored. We just decided to see what was out there. So we decided to busk our way to Australia." Their transport: a 1962 Bristol double-decker bus, now with more than 1 million miles on it, that Harrison acquired at a giveaway price. Top speed: 33 mph.

So they journeyed east, across the Middle East and the subcontinent, catching freighters in Indonesia and on to Australia, then across the South Atlantic and up the spine of South and Central America. Along the way they put on the same basic show countless times, entertaining audiences as diverse as the Sultan of Brunei and street urchins in Calcutta.

Two years ago a family friend, Joe, joined the crew to act as the couple's child Theo's primary teacher and an improvisational jack-of-all-trades. Rather than coming apart under the stress of hand-to-mouth travel in a cramped and uncertain rolling home, the Sprockets family simply adapted to its demands.

They rolled into the United States three weeks ago, but as they crossed Alabama the engine started banging. Mechanics there told them they wouldn't make it out of the parking lot, but the crew poured in an oil additive and, as Harrison put it, "coasted down all the hills" to Charleston.

Sprockets arrived May 22 only to discover that the city's Office of Cultural Affairs had expected only a small group of street performers, not a full-fledged act requiring elaborate apparatus for aerial acrobatics. This wasn't just an annoyance, either. Without their anticipated revenues from the festival, there simply wasn't enough money to pay for the Bristol's required engine work at a specialized shop in Charlotte.

So the troupe made its pitch the best way it knew how. It secured a gig at Buist Academy on May 23, just two days before the start of the festival, and stopped by the city's cultural affairs office to invite its decision-makers to attend the performance. Director Ellen Dressler Moryl and coordinator Holley Van Horn agreed to give it a look.

Moryl didn't require further convincing. "Ellen put them in the festival immediately," Van Horn said. "She made things happen at Marion Square."

Sarah Cothran, manager of the City Market, said the logistics boiled down to persuading some vendors to move to other spots to accommodate the bus. "But they're all thrilled, we're all thrilled to have them here, because they make the Market even more special."

Beyond the romance of their story is the performance itself. Harrison calls it "comedy circus," a mixture of physical humor, sight gags, unicycle stunts, juggling, two-person acrobatics and an impressive aerial finale. Weekend audiences responded with enthusiasm, mobbing Harrison and Seraud as they passed their hats for donations.

Once this festival ends, they'll be off to Charlotte for that repair, and then on to Canada, which they hope to tour this summer, before it gets too cold.

And then what? Is there an end to a journey like this one? Probably not, Harrison says.

"It becomes an eternal journey, I think. If I ever get any money I'll build a boat around her (the bus), and then we'll go off sailing."

Sprockets performs at 2 p.m. today at Marion Square, and will perform show most days during the festival. The shows are free, and the troupe's income depends solely on donations.