After seeing Circus the Show at its inception in 2021, it was amazing to see how it has evolved from two years ago. Dare I say, it’s even bigger, better and more magical than ever before. The stadium style seating of the Flamingo Tent gives it more of a circus feel, and the addition of The Ringmaster hosting the show really adds to the excitement and fun of it all.
On Saturday, with a sold-out crowd of families with little kids in attendance, the atmosphere was electric. And when The Ringmaster asked them to scream as loud as they could, my eardrums nearly burst at the high-pitched shrieking that emanated from their little voices. Adding to the children’s hysterics, was a hilarious clown. He fumbled and bumbled his way throughout the show, adding to the laughs and the sideshow attraction. He may have played the fool, but he certainly knew what he was doing to garner a reaction and get the crowd on his side throughout the performance, saving his best trick for the big finale.
Throughout this fast paced one-hour of entertainment the kiddos and I got to witness many circus marvels, including Shauna the hula-hoopist and aerial silks expert. It’s hard enough perfecting one craft but this remarkable women has managed to master two. Richard the juggler also made an appearance. I’ve seen him many-a-time in a Fringe show titled Werk It so I was rapt when he appeared onstage to perform some astonishing juggling tricks. Performer Jessie also pulled double duty in this show, wowing us all with her mesmerising trapeze act before taking to the Cyr wheel (gigantic metal hoop) and rolling about the stage without a care in the world. It’s a special kind of performer that can make such a difficulty apparatus look so easy. Sam Sam the Magic Man made an appearance, delighting the audience with his sleight of hand tricks and somehow managing to levitate a small child a metre in the air. No matter how many times I see this trick I can’t work out how it’s done!
That’s the best part of Circus the Show. It’s seeing normal everyday people doing very extraordinary things. If you’re looking to find a collection of every awesome Fringe act crammed into the one highly polished, extraordinary performance, Circus the Show is the one for you. Enjoy
FIVE STARS *****