Circus The Show Presented by Showmen Productions 19 February, 2024 The Moa is a fabulous space; a huge tent with stage and runway, and thankfully air-conditioned. And the chairs are comfortable! The venue suits Circus The Show and sightlines are good for the smaller people in the audience. The traditional clown opens the entertainment, albeit in a low-key manner, before the show ‘officially’ begins. Quietly but firmly, the audience is drawn to the clown's hapless cleaning skills and valiant attempts at performing tricks for the show. As the Ringmaster bursts onto the stage, the show begins! Our clown is relegated to stage hand. And so the acts tumble onto the stage (sometimes literally), one after the other in short bursts, interspersed by the Ringmaster’s schtick, and our clown’s continual mismanagement. Glow-in-the- dark hula hoops spin around a lithe body, basketballs are sent spinning and juggling. Shawna the aerial artist stuns with a magnificentturn on the aerial ribbon, Jessie spins around on a giant hoop and Ricardo desperado, the ‘Mexican juggler’ throws his clubs around with gay abandon. Sam (also appearing in Justin’s Big Balloon Show) makes an appearance, and delights the audience by levitating young audience volunteer Ava! It's an action packed show and the audience is involved all the way. It flags a little occasionally, but there are plenty of belly laughs and wonderment for the kids, and plenty of fun to be had for adults as well. The finale is the clown doing the giant balloon trick. Having just seen it in a previous show, it was no great surprise, but it’s still pretty darn funny. Entertaining for all the family. Arna Eyers-White