A bus-bourne troupe of hippie actors, clowns, and musicians toured New Zealand and Australia in the early 1970's. They were called Blerta and they were led by the charismatic Bruno Lawrence. He was a smoker, drinker, drug user and womaniser, he was an talented drummer and played loveable rogues audiences warmed to especially in the 1981 Kiwi classic Smash Palace.
Roger Booth wrote the 1999 book The Bruno Lawrence Story after Bruno's death and chats to Jesse Mulligan about the man loved by so many.
Greer Robson & Bruno Lawrence in Smash Palace Photo: supplied