Rowan Ford Dawson has been creating a fantastical world of theatrical diversion and entertainment around the city, lifting the spirits of many despite the last two years of the world-altering pandemic.

A well-recognised and loved local figure, he's adopted a variety of personas and costumes to enliven crowds and smaller groups at festivals, concerts, shows, parades, promotions, birthday parties, weddings, and countless other occasions.

Arriving from Auckland six years ago and expanding Circus in a Flash, Rowan, who was keen to carve out a new life in Tauranga with his family, often found he was having to return to Auckland on weekends for work. The pandemic brought new challenges.

'Obviously with Covid, entertainment is the first to stop, and the last to start again,” says Rowan.

With events repeatedly postponed and cancelled due to Covid, the now Tauranga-based professional performer has taken his ‘can-do' positive attitude online and also utilised social distancing.

'We moved to online Zoom parties, shows and one-on-one personal Zooms.

'Entertainers are very vulnerable when it comes to lockdowns and the restrictions. We've been very lucky that government subsidies have helped keep us alive, helped us pay the bills. And we're lucky that my wife's been able to work.”

After some test runs with families and children he knew, along with tips from his own children, he started running birthday parties by Zoom, with 12 or more houses all logging in at the same time.

'Some of the parties we did would buy juggling ball sets or rhythmic gymnastic ribbons, and we'd teach them how to juggle, just like we would at a normal birthday party but from the comfort of our home and their home. We'd play games with them, and they could talk with their heroes – a mermaid or Wonder Woman, depending on what character they had booked for their party.”

To have Spiderman encouraging a child to potty train, or a performer do a few tricks, or just have a one-on-one video chat with a child has helped many adjust to life during lockdowns.

'We've also had corporate Zoom video calls where 40 or so staff and family have logged in to watch me do a one-hour greatest showman-style circus show.”

A versatile performer, Rowan has entertained as The Cat in the Hat for a library promotion juggling and balancing umbrellas and encouraging book reading. There's also been sports events and promotions including Greerton Village and Tauranga Crossing for St Patrick's Day, Christmas and Easter. His Circus in a Flash performers have dressed as Men in Black juggling glow balls, and as characters from Toy Story, Hobbit and Star Wars at film premieres.

On Valentine's Day he will be back in Greerton Village, as ‘Julio the Latin Lover', bringing the romance while giving away chocolate hearts to shoppers.

The Christmas period is usually the busiest. As the Christmas Elf he popped up at the gingerbread hunt in downtown Tauranga during December. In the past he has booked many of his performers for stiltwalking, unicycling, juggling, and to interact with crowds in fantastic costumes for New Year's Eve, but the Tauranga community events were cancelled this year.

'It was nice to be able to get out and do some gigs over summer, and I was able to do holiday programmes with numbers reduced and mask wearing, where we teach the kids how to juggle, spin plates, unicycle, and tight rope. And we can still do birthday parties with distancing and masks on, and provide circus teaching.”

Whether it's performing at Hobbiton, cricket events, online parties or standing on Cameron Rd on stilts or a unicycle while holding a sign, Rowan has adapted to meet any idea or event.

'We've got a costume room that can usually produce most things you can think of. People come to us and say: ‘We've got this idea, do you think you can do it?' Of course! We love to be flexible and make it work.”