Rex having another run at the circus

The son of late broadcaster Gerry Ryan is the star of theatre show The Circus of Perseverance which is running at Smock Alley Theatre until Saturday.

The black comedy is returning after blowing away audiences and critics during last year's Fringe festival.

"It's take two," Rex told the Diary. "It got a great response last year so we thought we'd bring it back.

"The show tells the stories of six Dubliners and their struggles but in the style of a circus show. There is a ring master and everything."

The show opened this week and Rex's number one fan; his mum Maura was there to cheer him on.

"My mum and my nana have been in already and my sisters and brother will probably come in closer to the weekend."

Rex will be joined on stage by actor Andy Kelleher. Dublin native Andy plays Polliver in the grisly and gruesome Game of Thrones and says treading the boards is a very different experience.

"Polliver is an evil child killer so I play someone a bit less evil than that," he laughed. "He's a gangster but he doesn't get his hands dirty."