While many job adverts may feature slightly unusual requirements, the need for an applicant to fit into a two foot by 16.5 inches bottle puts a whole new spin on the term flexible working.†
The Circus of Horrors advertised the position of a contortionist, who could fit into its pickled person bottle, while the troupe performs in Brighton this month.
The role, which was advertised in job centres around the city, pays £200 for around seven hours work a week.
The circus was inundated with hundreds of applications. It held auditions and a ‘bottle-off’ to assess the panache that the three short-listed candidates demonstrated when getting inside the bottle.
The circus appointed local Sophie Cairns to perform in shows until 22 May.
Although the advert stated that previous experience would be advantageous but not essential, creator of the Circus of Horrors and undead ringmaster Dr Haze told Employee Benefits, (on the morning of Friday 13 May, of all days!), that certain skills were essential. He said: “They needed to be flexible and not claustrophobic. Five of the 20 that attended the audition could get into the bottle.”
It would be interesting to explore whether, as part of a flexible working policy, the pickled person would also be entitled to work from home and squeeze into a milk bottle instead.
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