On Monday evening (Bank Holiday) we went to the circus. We got free tickets through the zoo, as both are State owned enterprises. I haven’t been to a circus of any kind since I was a small child.
The circus is in a large purpose built building about half an hour walk from the zoo. The design is round like a circus ring and is a very imposing building.
Before the show started you could have your photo taken with a variety of animals in the foyer; a monkey, dogs, a porcupine, a snake or rabbits. In the main arena, there were ponies and horses giving rides and a large dog pulling a little cart for children to sit in.
The arena was almost full, the circus is very popular here.
The lights dimmed, the band started playing and a team of acrobats and dancers started the evening with balancing acts, human towers (4 people high) and throwing each other though the air. They were excellent.
Clowns followed this act with the usual slap-stick comedy and music making with plastic bottles.
The first animal act was a pair of small pigs unrolling a carpet for the animal trainer. She brought out a small pig-like animal that ran round the edge of the ring, and a very reluctant raccoon-dog who did not want to pull his little card and was eventually carried away. One of the men brought out an even more reluctant wild boar that pulled him over and ran away. Some pygmy goats did a jumping act around the ring and on some platforms and this was also done by some over-excited dogs. A pair of young coatis did a lap of the ring then a jumping/balancing act.
The pygmy goats came back pulling a small cart, with a clear Perspex globe. Inside the globe were about 5 rats and a cat. A chicken was sitting on top of the whole contraption. They did a circuit of the ring and then stopped at another odd contraption. It had a central post with a small platform at the top, and two arms with space-ship shaped Perspex objects dangling from them. The animals were let out of the globe; the cat climbed up to the platform and the rats ran up ropes and into the spaceships. At this point, two porcupines appeared in the spotlight, one climbed into a wheel and the other on top and they made their way across the floor to a ramp, they climbed up one side and slid down the other. This was repeated several times before they did a circuit of the arena. Then they were led to the cat/rat device. There were little wheels at the bottom which the porcupines turned which made the rat-space-ships spin round the cat!
The animals all left and were replaced by a clown, who brought in a crocodile (a dog in a crocodile suit) they did some wrestling whilst the next act was prepared.
Next was a cat show, started with spinning wheels, with cats inside and large cat sized rodents on top. A monkey then rode a small horse round the arena.
After this was a pair of acrobats who used another spinning wheel type thing, I can’t really explain it, but was also very good. They were replaced by a singer and some dancers.
After this was a comedy act with a naughty monkey wearing a dress (naughty as part of the act).
Then more acrobats, balancing on balls and very thin beams, performing multiple somersaults high in the air.
Then more cats, dancing cats, climbing cats, jumping cats, balancing cats, ball balancing cats and FIRE SPINNING CATS!
A safety net was raised for Russian trapeze artists and the clowns came back. While the nets were being prepared, two clowns pretended they were mosquitoes and chased the other clown around. He got fed up and started swatting members of the audience. The trapeze artists were fantastic, they even did part of their act in the darkness with the aid of UV lights, and then a lady was raised to the very ceiling of the dome and dived from there down into the safety net.
After a short interval a different safety net was set up and various platforms and jumps were prepared. A series of crates were brought to the back of the arena next to a safety tunnel. Several men were placed around the outside of the arena with sticks and one had a fire-hose. Dancers and singers came into the area and performed a short number, and then two women entered the enclosure. A tiger appeared who jumped on a few of the seats before moving into a large metal ring. One of the women also got into the ring which was raised high into the air. When they came down again, they were joined by a lioness and another two tigers. These cats mostly sat where they were told to. They did some jumping and balancing, before nearly managing a synchronized roll. A lion was then brought into the ring. He did a bit of jumping before letting one of the women climb all over him. The tigers then did sitting up tricks and one walked for a short while on his hind legs (it took a lot of coaxing). They tigers then went up onto the high platform where they all jumped through a ring of fire. The lion was ridden by one of the women, and all the big cats left.
It was then announced that the next act was the best animal trainer in the whole world. The female clown came back, accompanied by the other two clowns who were dressed in tortoise suits. She then made them do a routine and rode them out the ring.
Lastly a team of stunt riders with a man in the centre cracking a bull-whip. Pretty amazing stuff; upside down, under the horses, back to front, jumping on and off the horses.
Unfortunately, the batteries in our camera were dying so the photos are not great.
And that, as they say, is that.
The circus is in a large purpose built building about half an hour walk from the zoo. The design is round like a circus ring and is a very imposing building.
Before the show started you could have your photo taken with a variety of animals in the foyer; a monkey, dogs, a porcupine, a snake or rabbits. In the main arena, there were ponies and horses giving rides and a large dog pulling a little cart for children to sit in.
The arena was almost full, the circus is very popular here.
The lights dimmed, the band started playing and a team of acrobats and dancers started the evening with balancing acts, human towers (4 people high) and throwing each other though the air. They were excellent.
Clowns followed this act with the usual slap-stick comedy and music making with plastic bottles.
The first animal act was a pair of small pigs unrolling a carpet for the animal trainer. She brought out a small pig-like animal that ran round the edge of the ring, and a very reluctant raccoon-dog who did not want to pull his little card and was eventually carried away. One of the men brought out an even more reluctant wild boar that pulled him over and ran away. Some pygmy goats did a jumping act around the ring and on some platforms and this was also done by some over-excited dogs. A pair of young coatis did a lap of the ring then a jumping/balancing act.
The pygmy goats came back pulling a small cart, with a clear Perspex globe. Inside the globe were about 5 rats and a cat. A chicken was sitting on top of the whole contraption. They did a circuit of the ring and then stopped at another odd contraption. It had a central post with a small platform at the top, and two arms with space-ship shaped Perspex objects dangling from them. The animals were let out of the globe; the cat climbed up to the platform and the rats ran up ropes and into the spaceships. At this point, two porcupines appeared in the spotlight, one climbed into a wheel and the other on top and they made their way across the floor to a ramp, they climbed up one side and slid down the other. This was repeated several times before they did a circuit of the arena. Then they were led to the cat/rat device. There were little wheels at the bottom which the porcupines turned which made the rat-space-ships spin round the cat!
The animals all left and were replaced by a clown, who brought in a crocodile (a dog in a crocodile suit) they did some wrestling whilst the next act was prepared.
Next was a cat show, started with spinning wheels, with cats inside and large cat sized rodents on top. A monkey then rode a small horse round the arena.
After this was a pair of acrobats who used another spinning wheel type thing, I can’t really explain it, but was also very good. They were replaced by a singer and some dancers.
After this was a comedy act with a naughty monkey wearing a dress (naughty as part of the act).
Then more acrobats, balancing on balls and very thin beams, performing multiple somersaults high in the air.
Then more cats, dancing cats, climbing cats, jumping cats, balancing cats, ball balancing cats and FIRE SPINNING CATS!
A safety net was raised for Russian trapeze artists and the clowns came back. While the nets were being prepared, two clowns pretended they were mosquitoes and chased the other clown around. He got fed up and started swatting members of the audience. The trapeze artists were fantastic, they even did part of their act in the darkness with the aid of UV lights, and then a lady was raised to the very ceiling of the dome and dived from there down into the safety net.
After a short interval a different safety net was set up and various platforms and jumps were prepared. A series of crates were brought to the back of the arena next to a safety tunnel. Several men were placed around the outside of the arena with sticks and one had a fire-hose. Dancers and singers came into the area and performed a short number, and then two women entered the enclosure. A tiger appeared who jumped on a few of the seats before moving into a large metal ring. One of the women also got into the ring which was raised high into the air. When they came down again, they were joined by a lioness and another two tigers. These cats mostly sat where they were told to. They did some jumping and balancing, before nearly managing a synchronized roll. A lion was then brought into the ring. He did a bit of jumping before letting one of the women climb all over him. The tigers then did sitting up tricks and one walked for a short while on his hind legs (it took a lot of coaxing). They tigers then went up onto the high platform where they all jumped through a ring of fire. The lion was ridden by one of the women, and all the big cats left.
It was then announced that the next act was the best animal trainer in the whole world. The female clown came back, accompanied by the other two clowns who were dressed in tortoise suits. She then made them do a routine and rode them out the ring.
Lastly a team of stunt riders with a man in the centre cracking a bull-whip. Pretty amazing stuff; upside down, under the horses, back to front, jumping on and off the horses.
Unfortunately, the batteries in our camera were dying so the photos are not great.
And that, as they say, is that.
Boar Running Away from Trainer
Crocodile/Dog Wrestling
Monkey Riding a Pony
Naughty Monkey
Fire Twirling Kitten
Fire Twirling Kitten
Mosquito Clowns
Tortoise Taming!
