CIRCUS BIG TOP
With its spellbinding variety of shows, the Circus Big Top provides a seamless feast of entertainment throughout the day and night. Providing all round gob smacking, jaw dropping family fun in the daytime with adult circus from 22.30.
The stunning acrobats The Black Eagles, from Tanzania, perform to lively African music as the show progresses through a series of powerful and graceful acrobatic and dance routine. By contrast, Fire Tusk, go to far scarier extremes with fire, straitjackets, motorbikes, chainsaws, whips, knives and flying usherettes. Their show, The Fire Tusk Pain Proof Circus, drags the circus kicking and screaming into the 21st century, on an unstoppable rock ‘n’ roll road to hell. Not suitable for children and don’t try this at home.
Bongo Bolero is a mesmerising mix of strength, grace and fluidity of movement performed breathtakingly on a Chinese pole, while Incandescence deliver one of this year’s big productions, a brand new piece called Fire in The Sky which is a collaboration of Middle Eastern techniques and stunning, contemporary circus, skillfully blending high energy acrobatics, dramatic fire performance, dynamic aerial acts and beautiful choreography resulting in a spellbinding and magical show. A true fusion of art forms.
Whether catching ping-pong balls fired out of a gun or juggling a flaming cigar, world record holder Rod Laver is an unpredictable daredevil performer. Leo and Yam play ‘Knockout’, a flirtatious teasing game that develops into a playful duel in the air. This is a stylish, original and highly skilled double rope act, which is funny, sexy and most of all, exciting.
Finally, Fulcrum, from Cirque du Soleil, is an acrobatic adagio and static trapeze show which is simply bewitching as it mixes the dynamic and the dramatic.
OUTSIDE CIRCUS STAGE
Roll up to the Outside Circus Stage to be wowed and excited, chomp your way through this lot and be totally delighted while you gather pearls of wisdom and belly laughs as you marvel at the acrobats, the lasso tricks and that precarious bucket of water. You can also see high flying performances and have a go yourself in the trapeze workshop sessions at Above And Beyond. Do you dare to reach the air…
Some of the treats on the Outside Circus Stage include Fraser and his show that features classic clowning, ridiculous routines, eccentric dance and hilarious audience involvement. A fantastic opportunity to see an award-winning clown who pays homage to the great silent comedians with his own unique contemporary edge. You can also experience Bill Ferguson’s interactive show, combining improvisational comedy mixed with audience involvement and some spectacular juggling.
The Cloghoppers Banjo Circus duo play blistering bluegrass combined with acro-balance, lasso tricks, juggling, unicycling the comedy of the unexpected. They are undoubtedly the smallest banjo orchestra with circus tricks in the world. Richard Handley heads due east with Show-Master ‘Fu-Ling Yu’ who dispenses pearls of oriental wisdom and asks the audience to enter the world of Shaolin.
Finally, look out for Shirlee Sunflower, a physical comedienne in search of love with her glasses and fluffy yellow shorts, she will charm her way into your life as she performs quirky and stretchy acrobatic stunts, not to mention her leap of love from a five foot table into a precariously placed bucket of water.
ALSO IN THE CIRCUS FIELDS
Also, within the Circus Field you’ll find a small outside stage, aptly named ‘The Top-less Circus’, make sure you check the boards daily, to ensure you don’t miss a thing! Acts will include Rumplestiltskin, Linsday Benner, AJ James, Moses, Aileen, Andy Zap, Strictly Dumb Prancing, Liqueur Flambe, Bill Ferguson, Beautiful Stu and Byron Bertram.
GROUND SHOWS IN CIRCUS FIELD
On the field you will find Ground Shows throughout the day: – check them out including Banjo Circus, Inner Spin Hula workshops, Sheffield Jugglers, Laughter Workshops, Dynamix, Mystic Swing and Cabaret Fatalia.