My first visit to Giffords Circus was a happy one as the promised rain slowed to a light drizzle on the way to their stop at Chiswick House & Gardens.
The title of this year’s show is Avalon, and we are in the colourful court of King Arthur’s Camelot, with costumes created by a 20-strong team led by Sian Clare.
Directed by Cal McCrystal, Avalon is a family-friendly blend of music, comedy, illusion, and skill with acrobats, cyr wheel, aerial hoop, rola bola and more.
Giffords does include animal acts – a comedy dog routine and a cute Shetland pony – clearly well-cared for and enthusiastic for attention and treats.
Their trainers, respectively Pat Clarrison and Pip Ashley, and Latoya Donnert, get the best from their charges without ever exploiting them.
Tweedy the clown is absent for the 2024 production, but his place is ably filled by Tyler West, a charismatic and confident crowd-pleaser from New York. At “half the size but double the fun”, he’s a definite star on this stage.
The house band, “Jethro Dull” accompany singer Nell O’Hara (as Guinevere) in a wide range of songs from “Scarborough Fair” to “Instant Replay”.
Elsewhere, Nick Hodge (as Arthur) climbs rope, and Maximilian Stia (as Merlin) sets up a variety of magic tricks to entertain all ages.
At two hours, including a 20-minute interval, this show won’t tire the patience of little tots, and there are enough basic comic routines to keep them amused.
Sightlines may vary slightly depending on where you sit, with the stage at floor level, but there’s no problem in seeing the bulk of the action including Morgan Barbour and Victoria Sejr’s hair hang and aerial work.
Giffords Circus is now in its 24th year, and is dedicated to the memory of founder Nell Gifford (1973-2019), retaining many of the creative team she built around it.
It now attracts artists from across the globe, and Avalon tours until the end of Sep – locations/tickets here.
****
Image credit: Emily Jo West, Giffords Circus (production photos), Colin Penn (collage)
