JOHN Haze's father was a lion tamer and his mother was an amazing spider woman in a circus sideshow.

By the age of 12, John himself was a fire-eater.

So, you could say he was born to run a circus.

In fact, when he grew up, John went on to found The Circus of Horrors, a bizarre blend of breathtaking feats, death-defying trapeze artists and a person in a pickle jar.

"I've got sawdust in my veins," says John, from Preston, who plays the Undead Ringmaster in the show.

"And I've always had a love of horror films. My favourite film is The Exorcist -- it haunted me for years after I first saw it.

"So it just seemed like a good idea to combine the two. I felt there was a gap in the market for rock 'n' roll circuses, so in 1995 I took the Circus of Horrors to Glastonbury.

"Within a year we were doing all the big festivals and touring across the country."

And what does John believe is the secret of the Circus of Horrors success story?

"Audiences love to see people doing unusual things," he says. "That's why you get popular TV shows like Don't Try This At Home."

The Circus of Horrors is certainly jam packed with unusual routines.

Its line-up includes Gary Stretch, who can stretch his skin as if it's elastic, Wasp Boy, who can swallow five swords simultaneously and light up a neon tube inside his body and an amazing pickled person.

"We've got all sorts of bizarre and unusual acts," says John.

"Many of our artists have very strange abilities. We've got a troop of acrobats from the Congo who are former cannibals and amazing flying trapeze artists. But it's predominantly a comedy show. It's more Hammer House of Horrors than The Exorcist."

Catch The Circus of Horrors at King George's Hall, Blackburn, on November 15. Call (01254) 582582 for tickets.