Synopsis
Life's a humdrum affair for two clowns, cousins FERGIE and PERRY, roaming the countryside in a small scale travelling circus. Both enjoy a bet, drugs, drinking, and TV game shows to break up the endless days of oblivion.
But when PERRY starts shagging DIANA, the horse handler, FERGIE is sent to sleep in his leaking truck, and FERGIE soon starts to look for a sleeper of his own.
Only PERRY can't drive and needs FERGIE and his truck to pull their shared caravan. And despite appearing otherwise - playing helpful with the free ads - he does everything in his power to prevent the move.
This is the point where FERGIE should be kicking off, challenging PERRY about ownership, responsibility and all that, but PERRY is clever.
He has fixed FERGIE up with an awning and a swimming pool fashioned from a lorry tarp stretched out over numerous straw bales. Suddenly FERGIE'S truck is the place to be.
And in any case PERRY is not around because MATTEO, the show’s top Maltese acrobat has quit the show, leaving his partner, the beautiful KARINA, alone and potentially available. PERRY immediately fancies his chances and orchestrates the situation to his best advantage.
He wheedles his way into KARINA'S life, listening to her music ideas for a new routine, nodding approval at melodies he can't bear. The gifts he presents to her are shoplifted and his sentiments, aped.
But when MATTEO'S replacement, RASHID, a Moroccan acrobat arrives on the scene, PERRY becomes increasingly threatened. Seething, he watches on as KARINA and RASHID begin to bond through their shared creativity and warm heartedness.
However, when RAY the boss ropes PERRY and FERGIE into visiting the children's ward at the local hospital to gather press publicity, a string of events take PERRY on a completely unexpected journey.
PERRY is a taker. His shared caravan is filled with the ketchup, vinegar and salt and pepper sachets nicked from cafes on the road. And enough greeting cards to last an entire lifetime of celebrations, commiserations and get well soons.
His friendships are opportunities to manipulate and curry favour.
But while he's busy on the make, the universe weaves a web of events that lead him to the edge of his heart.
Unbeknownst to PERRY, he is the one who has been played and without understanding how he got there, he finds himself giving for the first time in his adult life.
Circumstances outside his control unexpectedly bring PERRY to a sensation of love. Something he has starved himself of in the very act of grabbing for it.