This thesis is a reflection upon three aspects of my practice as a performer: it explores the ways in which the seaside pierrot troupe, the fairground sideshow and the peepshow contribute to a deeper understanding of the showman’s role. This practice is combined with published materials in the form of broadcasts and publicly accessible media, which contextualize my research. I shall demonstrate how a showman may use historical performance forms to present subversive, social and political comment, in contemporary public space.