Latest news with #GiffordsCircus
Telegraph
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
There's no better way of spending a family evening than Gifford's Circus
Celebrating its 25th anniversary yet seeming to have been a fixture in the circus landscape for aeons, the old-world charm of the Cotswolds-based Giffords Circus offers an antidote to everything that's miserable about the UK at the moment. The sight of Giffords' big-top, with attendant gypsy caravans – as if spirited from the pages of Dickens but serving lots of good grub and drink too – is itself enchanting. And the bucolic vision of its late founder Nell Gifford of like-minded artists pitching up on village greens is honoured by the picturesque stop-offs. But the visual delight is maximised by the 1950s America-themed show itself, which, with Cal McCrystal directing, has the aura of a fully-fledged theatre production. Projected imagery of rippling water bathes the ring-floor to help conjure a dreamlike resort inspired by Atlantic City. There's neon signage for Sal's Motel, a soda bar booth, palm trees, and a bandstand. The retro music, performed live, emits a sunshine blast of nostalgia. An opening bout of beach-ball, for instance, is conducted to the happy-clappy sound of doo-wop hit Lollipop, a grinning acrobatic troupe from Ethiopia casually juggling clubs and stepping in time to the tunes. This isn't one for those craving a lot of spectacular death-defying daring – no one is flying from a trapeze, being shot from a cannon or whizzing at speed on motorbikes. Much entertainment is provided by irrepressible resident buffoon Tweedy. Cast as the motel bellboy, he kicks things off with inspired ineptitude involving a deck-chair, and continually tries to sabotage the cheesy variety magician (Maxi), his yearning for ice-cream climaxing in a drenching melée. The animal contribution is also lo-fi and reassuringly genteel: a brazenly bribed Shetland pony and an eager Patterjack are the cutest mascots. It's all very English, with a put-on American accent. Yet while homespun, it still reaches for the stars – and takes risks. The young Garcia brothers (Antonio and Connor) elicit awe with their lithe, gravity-defying handstands, spinning headstands and Charles Atlas physiques. Their parents, Pablo and Vikki provide tongue-in-cheek jeopardy, dangling from a renegade vintage air-plane. Spanish beefcake Randy Forgione Vega whirls high in the air, wielding hand-straps and old-school machismo. But for elegance, grace and a sensuousness that defines the show's judicious mix of flamboyance, flesh and family-friendly fare, there's no beating Daniela Muñoz Landestoy from Cuba and Noémi Novakovics who hails from Hungary. The pair ascend to the sound of Gershwin's Summertime (blissfully sung by Nell O'Hara) and hang suspended and twirling using just their hair for support (ouch!). It's all over in a flash, yet you intuit the long dedication and sense of personal destiny behind it. We must treasure these folk – and their art-form. An art-form perpetuated with toil, sweat and thrilling bravura by Giffords. Tours to Sept 28; tickets: giffordscircus
The Guardian
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Giffords Circus: Laguna Bay review – cheeky, magical and bucketfuls of fun
The celebrations kick off in a low-key fashion. It's been 25 years of Giffords Circus and Tweedy the Clown is larking about with a deck chair. It's all very silly and very British; an unassuming vaudeville act that takes great skill but mainly just feels full of joy. My four-and-a-half-year-old son, Benji, is up way past his bedtime but is having a ball watching a show that celebrates the tremendous skill of Giffords' performers – but also their passion and commitment, which light up Laguna Bay with a special kind of warmth and magic. A feeling of family runs through all Giffords productions. Lots of the performers are related and most have been working in circus their whole lives. The show is also performed in memory of founder Nell Gifford, which imbues everything with a delicate sort of tenderness. The Ethio-Salem Troupe have been with Giffords Circus from the beginning and, in costumes that explode with colour, they bounce wildly about the circus tent. First they throw skittles. Then they throw themselves. Later they'll jump through hoops and, finally, through fire. All of it feels effortless, somehow very human and full of love. Ahead of the show, Benji and I read the programme notes and come across Pablo and Vickki Garcia's act, A Sensation in the Sky. I warn Benji there won't be an actual plane. Same goes for Daniela Muñoz Landestoy andNoémi Novákovics's hair-hanging act. They may not actually be hanging from their hair. But I'm wrong. The Garcias dangle from a plane the couple made themselves. At one point, Vickki Garcia seems to be holding on to the plane – and spinning wildly – with just her mouth. The hair hangers really do dangle from their hair. Benji cannot believe what he is seeing. There's so much more, in a night crafted with precision and ease by director Cal McCrystal and choreographer Kate Smyth. The show's loose theme is 50s America, so there's a bubblegum aesthetic to proceedings and a relaxed and romantic feel to the live onstage music. Nothing seems like hard work – even when aerial artist Randy Forgione Vega is soaring overhead ('He's like Iron Man,' cries Benji) or the Garcia brothers (sons of Pablo and Vickki) are contorting their bodies in ways unimaginable, all while wearing silly pyjamas and cheeky smiles. Tweedy the Clown has been with Giffords Circus for more than 20 years and is a constant presence on stage, playfully undermining the acts and keeping things light. The night's best skit doesn't involve high-wire stunts, dancing horses or dazzling magic. It features giant tubs of fake ice-cream and lashings of water (mostly splashed over the audience). Another highlight sees Tweedy pull a white ribbon out of his mouth. Over and over again. Benji shouts out gleefully: 'Will it go on for ever?' And if Benji had anything to do with it, that ribbon would just keep on spiralling, way past his bedtime and into his dreams. At Chiswick House and Gardens, London, until 22 June. Then touring until 28 September.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Aylmers Circus returns to Stroud with 70s-inspired disco spectacle
AYLMERS Circus is returning to Stroud with a disco-inspired show. It will be at the Cotswold Playhouse in Parliament Street, from July 4 to July 6. The show, called Dancing Queen, will be a 70s disco-inspired celebration. The show will star Nancy Trotter Landry, best known for her work with Giffords Circus, who will bring her clowning to the dance floor. There will also be acrobatics, including tightwire feats, the Cyr wheel, and the art of hair hanging, as well as chair balancing. Harvey Aylmer, founder of Aylmers Circus, said: "It's a celebration of the disco era, but it's also a reminder of joy and freedom. "This show was born from a dream to create magical experiences that inspire people of all ages. "I can't wait to share this show with Stroud." Performances will take place at 7.30pm on Friday, July 4, and at 11.30am, 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday, July 5. On Sunday, July 6, show times will be at 11.30am, 2.30pm and 5.30pm. Tickets are £22 for adults and £16 for under 16s and can be purchased through the Aylmers Circus website. Aylmers Circus is suitable for all ages. Children aged two or over need a ticket, but under twos can go free if they sit on a parent or guardian's lap. Aylmers Circus was founded by Harvey Aylmer in 2024. Mr Aylmer's circus journey began at the age of 10 when he transformed his garden into a circus to raise money for charity. His fascination with the big top led him to write to Nell Gifford, asking how he could join her at Giffords Circus. Under her guidance, he found his way into the circus, where he spent three years working whilst also juggling two apprenticeships. He worked under the acclaimed director Cal McCrystal, whose expertise in physical comedy and theatrical storytelling helped shape Mr Aylmer's vision. Inspired by this experience, he founded Aylmers Circus in 2024 - a creative venture that fuses theatrical elegance with the timeless magic of the circus.
BBC News
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Giffords Circus celebrates 25 years with retro American show
One of the UK's best-known traditional travelling circuses is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a new 1950s America-themed magicians, musicians and clowns will be part of the Giffords Circus show, which is named Laguna troupe will go on tour in the Cotswolds from 17 April to 28 September, starting in director Cal McCrystal said: "Set in the buoyant and sunny era of 1950s America, Laguna Bay is a spectacular blend of fun, excitement and charm." In 2022, Giffords Circus was invited to perform an act at the Royal Albert Hall for the Royal Variety 2012, Giffords Circus has been guided by Mr McCrystal, and award-winning director, writer and directing career spans Cirque du Soleil, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Irish National Theatre, English National Opera and Glyndebourne Sauce – a travelling restaurant – will return to accompany the Laguna Bay tour, serving a banquet-style three-course meal on selected evenings.
