LOCK your doors and windows – the Circus of Horrors is calling into Bournemouth Pavilion tomorrow evening.

The show that stormed into the finals of Britain’s Got Talent and is now a West End smash is back to mark its 20th anniversary in spectacular style with a brand new show The Night of the Zombie.

Last year saw another giant leap for the show when it became the first circus to appear in a West End theatre for 100 years.

The show started its gruesome beginnings at the 1995 Glaston-bury Festival and became an instant hit, touring all over the world from Chile to Chatham, Argentina to Aberdeen, Japan to Jersey including festival appearances.

The latest incarnation ‘The Night of the Zombie’ is set in 2020, a decrepit and corpse ridden London.

Sensational shocks are interwoven with bizarre circus acts sword swallowers, knife throwers, daredevil balancing acts, astounding aerialists, a demon dwarf, a Guinness World Record holding ‘hairculian’ hair hanging beauty, Sinister Sisters, gyrating and fire limbo-ing acrobats. The macabre show also features the ghoulish talents of local performers Douglas Child and Stephanie Mercury.

Former Bournemouth school-boy Douglas found his career completely transformed from his days working as a call advisor at First Assist in Bournemouth to wowing thousands of people on stage as part of The Circus of Horrors.

The dream started when Doug, aged 37, saw an advert looking for someone to play Nosferatu – The Camp Dracula in the previous tour.

He said: “I was busy working in a call centre for First Assist and saw the ad in the Stage and before I knew it I was performing with The Circus of Horrors in a packed theatre in London’s West End.”

The actor went to Pokes- down School and then Port-chester School and first saw stardom when he played the Mad Hatter in Bournemouth’s Adven-ture Wonderland theme park.

Doug, who still lives in Bournemouth, is on the road most of the time with the travelling show but still calls the seaside town his home.

After leaving Adventure Wonderland Doug worked as a performer at children’s parties for four years and at the First Assist call centre.

Doug is accompanied on stage by Stephanie Mercury, who is another local actress from Corfe Mullen.

He added: “I have always been a fan of horror and Nosferatu was my hero.

“I studied his every move so when I went for the audition I had it pretty well nailed. Nevertheless, I was still shocked to be given the job.”

n Tickets are on sale on now, please call BH Live Tickets on 0844 576 3000.