Giffords Circus Celebrates The 250th Anniversary Of The Wonder Of Circus With 2018 Tour

Giffords Circus celebrates the 250th anniversary of circus with a UK premiere tour of their new show, My Beautiful Circus. The show will open on Friday 4 May at Fennels Farm, Stroud with an official press night on Thursday 28 June at Chiswick House & Gardens, London.

In 1768 near Westminster Bridge, equestrian rider Philip Astley drew out a 42-foot circle and filled it with jugglers, acrobats, clowns, strong men and bareback horse riders. This spectacle was the world's very first circus.

My Beautiful Circus will feature some of the classical acts such as: death-defying acrobatics, enchanting domestic animals and fan-favourite of Giffords Circus comedic genius, Tweedy the clown. Circus-goers can enjoy dining at Giffords exclusive rustic restaurant, Circus Sauce that tours with them. Circus Sauce serves a set 3-course menu that changes weekly, using seasonal produce from the surrounding area.

Founder, and producer Nell Gifford has said:

"We are so thrilled to be taking part of the celebration of the 250th year of circus. Show director Cal McCrystal and I have been asking ourselves: What makes the circus so magnetic? What is conjured up by the word circus? Why do we want to run away with the circus? What would the most beautiful circus look like? I hope that next year's show will answer all those questions and more."

Nell Gifford and Toti Gifford began Giffords Circus in 2000 and since then they have taken a new show out on the roads of England every summer. Their vision was a miniature village green circus, bursting at the seams, packed, rowdy, tiny, a little band of performers who live nomadically, performing daily, engrossed in the serious business of making magic.

Since that start in 2000 Giffords Circus has entertained over 850,000 people, and has worked with some extraordinary circus performers and creative: the mercurial comic genius Tweedy; Attila, a Hungarian horseman from the Great Hungarian Plane; Gabor Vosteen who played Mozart on five recorders, three in his mouth, one in each nostril; the late Molly Molloy, the choreographer who redefined Burlesque; eccentric dancer Barry Grantham.

Toti and Nell have travelled to Paris, Moscow, rural Hungary, Romania and beyond in search of talent. Gypsy violinists, tap dancers, tight-rope walkers, trapeze artistes, stunt riders, opera singers, magicians, illusionists, gymnasts - all have inhabited Giffords Circus.

Since 2012 the show has been directed by Cal McCrystal, whose credits include Paddington, Paddington 2 and One Man Two Guvnors. Maverick, naughty and uncompromising, Cal leads the company through a three-week rehearsal period at the Giffords Circus farm in the Cotswolds.