WHEN children’s performer Shep Huntly Shepard’s daughter was born, he chose to live in his own bubble.
The journey to bubbles wasn’t planned for Shepard, known as Dr Hubble on stage.
For years, Dr Hubble toured the world with an extreme circus act – sideshow stunts, fire, danger, edge-of-your-seat performances.
But when his daughter was born, everything changed.
“I wanted to create something she could watch,” he said.
“I needed to stop working nightclubs and being on the road all the time. I just wanted to be around more.
“So I built this show – something wholesome, something that works in the daytime, something that makes people smile.”
When Dr Hubble rolls into Swan Hill on Tuesday with nothing more than a hire car packed with soap and string, he’ll be bringing joy in its purest form.
For more than a decade, he’s travelled the length and breadth of the country with his unique, one-man bubble show, astonishing crowds from Karratha to Townsville, and now Swan Hill, as part of Regional Arts Victoria’s Connecting Places program.
“It’s about getting shows out to places that don’t usually have them,” Dr Hubble said.
“I think they chose me because the show appeals to all ages and it travels easily.
“I can just put it in the back of a hire car, take a couple of hours to set it up, and it’ll look like it’s in any theatre.”
Dr Hubble’s performances are something of a secret weapon against the everyday.
His tools are simple: soap solution, breath, and balance, but the result is pure magic.
Giant bubbles, smoke-filled bubbles, exploding bubbles. Sometimes, he even puts a person inside one.
“Bubbles are like magic without deception,” Dr Hubble said.
“Magicians, they’re always hiding something – sleight of hand, distractions and secret compartments.
“But bubbles? They just are.
“They’re pure, beautiful, and surprising.
“And even though I’ve done this show thousands of times, I still feel that joy every time.”
Dr Hubble recounted a recent performance in far north Western Australia where the responses were “pure and perfect”.
“I think because people in remote areas don’t get as much access to the arts, they really appreciate it more,” he said.
“City folks can be a bit jaded. But regional audiences, you can feel their gratitude.
“You get real responses and real applause. There’s something honest about it.”
The bubbles aren’t just for show.
Dr Hubble is also passionate about environmental responsibility.
On his website, he offers a recipe for homemade bubble mix using just four easy-to-find ingredients.
“I’m really into recycling and reusing,” Dr Hubble said.
“If people can make their own bubble mix at home, they don’t have to buy the plastic bottles from overseas.
“It’s just a small thing, but it makes a difference.
“And it makes the magic more accessible.”
And for all his years on stage, there’s one principle Dr Hubble holds onto tightly: respect your audience, no matter their age.
“I hate shows that talk down to kids,” he said.
“They’re just little humans. They’re smart. They deserve to be treated like everyone else.
“I always treat kids as equals. That’s part of why it works, because the energy is real.”
As one mother whispered at a show in Tasmania: “This guy’s just like a happiness generator.”
Mr Shepard discovered circus while studying a Bachelor of Arts at Federation University in Ballarat.
Starting in a three-man circus troupe called Circus in a Suitcase that performed at hundreds of schools, agricultural shows and festivals throughout Victoria, he then launched a solo street performer career, successfully touring all over the world.
Now, Mr Shepard performs at hundreds of preschools, schools, vacation care programs and major festivals across Australia.
Dr Hubble brings his bubble magic to Swan Hill Town Hall on Tuesday, May 27 and Robinvale Community Arts Centre on Wednesday, May 28.
Both shows begin at 11am.
Tickets are available now from the Swan Hill Town Hall website and in-person at the town hall booking office.
