Irishman Murray Molloy will present “Born of normal parents!” an award winning and internationally travelled show featuring toilet seats, swords and whacky comedy! Everyday in Civic square at 13:15 from the 15 to the 19 March 2013 as part of the NZ fringe.

“Molloy struck an instant rapport with the large audience with his humorous wisecracks even as he left jaws dropped at his sword swallowing act.” – The Pioneer, India 

Murray Molloy has been performing and traveling all over the world from Australia to Laos and Portugal to Fiji, for more than fifteen years. He has performed on the street, in bars, clubs and festivals, in front of tribal chiefs and in the legendary Jim Rose Circus in America and the Edinburgh fringe festival. He has studied yoga in the spiritual capital of India, Benares and clown with the famous Jango Edwards in Barcelona. He currently lives in Spain where he is exploring new fusions with cutting edge creators from diverse fields. 

“You are too funny!” Satnam Singh Sandhu – Chancellor of Chandigarh university.

His 2013 tour brought him to Europe, India and Malaysia. Some of the festivals he has performed at are the Delhi international arts festival (India), Ragasthan (India), Genting Highlands buskers festival (Malaysia), Belfast arts festival (Northern Ireland), Galway arts festival (Eire), Fiestas del Pilar, Mercateatre, Fiesta Mayor de Burgos, La Merced, Freakland Festival 2004, 05, 07, Las Fallas, The wild weekend and Elx al carrer (Spain), St. Kilda festival, Festival of the pearl and Carnivale (Australia), The Grey Lynn Festival (New Zealand), The Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Scotland).

“The kid’s got charisma!” Jim Rose. 

One of only one hundred sword swallowers actually performing on the planet and of these one of twenty five that swallow curved swords and one of ten that swallow multiple swords at once! His repetoire also includes: Escapology, clown, comedy, magic, fire manipulation, fakirism, pyrotechnics and contortionism.

At the last count, there were less than a hundred sword swallowers on the planet of these less than half are dedicated to professionally performing.

In contrast; 

• More than 2,249 people have sucessfully climbed Mt. Everest since 1953.

• More than 1,000 people have run the four minute mile more than 4,700 times since 1954.

• More than 750 astonauts have flown in space since 1961.

• More than 2.1 millon people do parachute jumps every year.

Medical influence and curiosities about sword swallowing.

• The art of sword swallowing is more than 4000 years old, it traces its origins to India around 2000BC 

• A normal person swallows about 600 times per day – 350 times while awake, 200 times during meals and 50 times while sleeping.

• A normal swallow uses more than 50 pairs of muscles and can take from three to twentythree seconds to complete.

• Sword swallowers use mind over matter to repress the gag reflex, the peristalsis reflex in the throat and the stomach retching reflex to swallow swords that can measure up to 72 cms.

• The art of sword swallowing can take between two and seven years to learn, and some people even after years of training are unable to learn.

• Sword swallowers association Internacional claim that every year there are between five and seven accidents that require hospitalisation, and many more that go unreported.

• The treatment of injuries from sword swallowing can cost between 50,000 and 70,000€.

“An Excellent show” Dr. Karamjeet Singh Sra – Chief executive officer Mueseum of sikh history.