© Andy Hollingworth Archive
Earlier this month, The Velvet Onion talked exclusively to Dave Brown for our first in-depth conversation with a member of The Mighty Boosh. The results are a fascinating insight into the world of one of the most versatile artists in Booshdom. In fact, our insights were so plentiful that we’re having to bring you them in installments!
Part one of our interview is below, with more to follow in the days to come…
“He’s like an old familiar friend to me now. I wish he was coming over for Christmas dinner to be honest. He’s almost a living beast more than a costume. And I’m so aware that seeing and referring to Bollo as a suit ruins the magic of it all. Everyone obviously knows it’s a suit, and it’s more caricatured and humanistic than realistic but still, you can definitely see that 5% of someone’s brain that thinks: ‘Hang on a minute… what the…?’”
Dave Brown is very protective of Bollo, the simian alter-ego for which he is best known after spending the last five years sweating inside its enormous furry costume across award winning television shows, two sell-out stage tours, a promotional trek across America and numerous charity events. As we settle down with coffee in a North London hideaway, Brown is quick to explain his love of maintaining the character’s mystique.
© Dave Brown
“I’m very particular about people seeing the costume” he reveals. “I try not to let anyone see the mechanics of it, and I hate the very rare occasions that anyone else has been in it. I think that should all be as much a secret as possible. I’ll always try to just go into a room and come out as Bollo, so that some people can wonder why they never see me & Bollo in the same room together. It’s a sort of Clark Kent thing: I run into a very large, wide telephone box… take off my glasses and tadaaah! I’d love to see that.”
“It’s also good to keep the mechanics schtum,” he continues, “because under the skin it looks ridiculous. The first layer I need to put on consists of yellow foam and black netting which makes me look like some kinky burlesque psychedelic bumble bee. Or a fat wasp from Tron.” He stops for a second, and realises he’s on the verge of revealing too much. “I just said I don’t want to ruin the magic, and now I’m ruining the magic! What a dick!” Continue reading →
