SOMETHING strange is heading to Oswaldtwistle on Sunday night.

The Circus of Horrors will be bringing its latest show Welcome to the CarnEvil to the Civic Arts Centre - a show packed with the weird, the wonderful and the downright bizarre

One of the newest members of the show - this year Circus of Horrors celebrates 21 years on the road - is singer Maria Morose.

"I joined in June just before we headed out on the festival circuit," she said. "I think one of the first shows I did was the Isle of Wight Festival which was brilliant. We were on along with the likes of the Foo Fighters and Muse, it was amazing."

The new production from the Circus of Horrors is the tale of a young girl who dreams of running away to join the circus but her dream soon turns into a nightmare when she finds herself in a decrepit, corpse ridden CarnEvil.

"For people who haven't been to one of our shows, it always comes as a surprise to them that there is a real storyline throughout. Yes, there are some fantastic acts but everyone has a character for the show," said Maria.

At the heart of it all is the mysterious Doktor Haze who presides over a motley crew of misfits including killer clowns, sword swallowers, demon dwarfs, and death defying aerialists.

A full rock band, fronted by Maria, provides the soundtrack for the show.

Surprisingly, seeing she plays a pivotal role in proceedings, this is Maria's first professional show.

"I was more of a bedroom singer than anything else," she said. "My boyfriend Matt is the bassist in the band in the show and he persuaded me to come out of my shell and go for it when the role came up.

"I'd seen the show many times and I couldn't wait to be part of it.

"It's really hard work as I'm on stage nearly all the time but it is such great fun and the audience reaction is just crazy.

"You get the fans who have been following the Circus of Horrors for years and know what to expect but then you get those who are new to it and the look on their faces you see from stage makes it all worthwhile. It is just a wild, entertaining ride and everyone leaves the theatre with a smile on their face."

As well as lead vocalist, Maria also has a dual role.

"I'm also the girl in the bottle," she said. The bottle in question is no bigger than a small milk churn into which she folds herself as part of the show.

"I didn't know that I could do it until they asked me," she laughed. "I've always been quite flexible but I'm not a contortionist, but I find it quite easy now I've been doing it all summer."

One of the longest serving members of the show is sword swallower Hannibal.

"I think one of the reasons the Circus of Horrors has been touring for so long is that the show is unique," he said. "People like to be a little scared and thrilled and we do involve the audience in the show too."

Circus of Horrors presents Welcome to the CarnEvil, Oswaldtwistle Civic Arts Centre, Sunday, November 22. Details from 01254 298319. Suitable for 16 and over.