Freaks! was written for Lisa Sarasini in 2006 and first performed by her with Zone One Brass at the Royal College of Music, London.

This tuneful and flamboyant showpiece was inspired by the Tod Browning film of the same name. The 1932 black and white cult classic was banned for many years due to its controversial morality issues and lead characters – real life side show ‘freaks’. It is one of the most bizarre things to have ever come out of Hollywood.

Gavin Higgins' virtuoso trombone solo is programmatic in style, full of humour with a sinister undercurrent, and is broken into seven short scenes:

• Introduction
• Roll up… See the Freaks
• The Amazing Cleopatra – Queen of the Air
• Gooble Gobble one of us – The Wedding Party
• The Fall of Cleopatra
• The Freaks Take Revenge
• Cleopatra – The Duck Lady