The Circus Comes To Wandsworth This Spring

In 1768, on an abandoned patch of land near London's Waterloo, showman, entrepreneur and equestrian rider Philip Astley drew out a circle in the ground, filled it with astounding physical acts - jugglers, acrobats, clowns, strong men and bareback riders and what we now know as "circus" was born. This spring, as part of the celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the invention of this art-form, the Circus Garden will transform a small park tucked away behind Clapham Junction into a circus mecca.

Over the first fortnight of May, as part of Wandsworth Arts Fringe, Shillington Park in SW11 will be temporarily renamed Battersea Circus Garden and play home to a pop up venue, The Big Top which itself will host a cornucopia of circus entertainment. In a programme that offers a variety of shows including international acrobatic troupes, award winning contemporary circus, dance, physical theatre and experimental work, evocative cabaret and plenty of family friendly entertainment, Battersea Circus Garden will present a vision for circus in the here and now, as a vibrant celebration of this thrilling art-form

Kicking off on the evening of May 4 with a special opening show Hoops and Loops, over the two weeks, The Big Top will also feature acts that include the acclaimed Lost in Translation's quirkily comic family friendly, colourful, loud dramatisation of the domestic adventures of a chaotic, dysfunctional family of misfits, The Hogwallops; Port Dance Theatre Project's Pibroch Tales - A vibrant blend of bagpipe music, storytelling, dance and comedy; Hikapee Theatre's physical and theatrical staging of their enchanting and magical children's story about sibling relationships, Moonfall; Esprit Concrete's Grit two extraordinary female artists delving into issues around health and personal struggle with a combination of parkour, dance, and storytelling; Nikki&JD's Knot who use breathtaking acrobatics and humour in poignant piece that questions the quest for the ideal lover; Cypher Stories' Simple Cypher - A mash up of hip hop, street dance, cyr wheel, juggling and live music created by fast rising circus duo Kieran Warner and Chris Thomas; multi-award winning Fauna in which five young and superbly talented acrobats draw on the parallels between human and animal behaviour; Juozo Miltinio Dramos Teatras with The Witch's Necklace - An imaginative piece of children's theatre, based on a traditional Lithuanian fairy-tale, featuring puppetry, clowning and live music to tell a story about how inner beauty wins over appearances; a very special appearance by the amazing Ethopian acrobats Bibi and Bichu and their troupe with Acts from Ethiopian Dreams, a jaw-dropping mix of contortion, juggling and cloth spinning, Sadiq Sadiq and Vendetta Vain with their evocative and provocative Our House - a celebration of queer sexuality, cultural heritage and identity; The Forgotten Night - a devised, ensemble production by Flying Fantastic exploring text, circus, puppetry and physical theatre; and the absurd and comic duet of circus, Cul de Sac with their physical, funny and thoughtful journey into the sometimes gentle and sometimes brutal nature of human relationships.

The season will also feature live music, participatory workshops and family fun.

Battersea Circus Garden producer Flora Herberich says:

'It's very exciting to bring such an array of circus to Wandsworth - there's a whole range of fantastic work from traditional skills based shows to experimental contemporary circus, all presented in the beautiful surroundings of a genuine big top tent. Definitely something for everyone!'

4 May
19:00
Hoops & Loops
Festival Opening Cabaret by Pitchbend Productions <https://www.facebook.com/pitchbendproductions/>
Circus
£15/£12 concessions, £10 early bird
bit.ly/hoopsandloops

5 May
14:00
Moonfall by Hikapee Theatre //
Children/Family
£10/£7 children/£28 family of four, early bird £8/6
bit.ly/wafmoonfall

20:00
Swing Fling by Swing Patrol London <https://www.facebook.com/SwingPatrolLondon/> //
Dance
£15
bit.ly/wafswingfling

6 May
12:00 - 18:00
Circus Garden Family Days by Pitchbend Productions <https://www.facebook.com/pitchbendproductions/> //
Children/Family
Free
bit.ly/wafcircusfamilydays

12:00
The Witch's Necklace by Juozo Miltinio Dramos Teatras //
Children/Family
£8/£6 children/£25 family of four, early bird £7/5
bit.ly/wafwitchsnecklace

14:00
Moonfall by Hikapee Theatre //
Children/Family
£10/£7 children/£28 family of four, early bird £8/6
bit.ly/wafmoonfall

17:00
The Hogwallops by The Lost In Translation Circus <https://www.facebook.com/lostintranslationcircus/> //
Children/Family
£13/£7 children/£30 family of four, early bird £10/6
bit.ly/wafhogwallops

20:00
Cul de Sac by Gemma Palomar & José Triguero //
Circus
£8
bit.ly/wafculdesac

7 May
11:00 - 19:00
Circus Garden Family Days by Pitchbend Productions <https://www.facebook.com/pitchbendproductions/> //
Children/Family
Free
bit.ly/wafcircusfamilydays

11:00
Baby Disco by Providence House & Friends //
Children/Family
£3
http://bit.ly/wafbabydisco

12:15
The Witch's Necklace by Juozo Miltinio Dramos Teatras //
£8/£6 children/£25 family of four, early bird £7/5
bit.ly/wafwitchsnecklace

15:00
Acts from Ethiopian Dreams by Bibi & Bichu//
Circus
Free, ticketed
bit.ly/wafethiopiandreams

17:00
The Hogwallops by The Lost In Translation Circus <https://www.facebook.com/lostintranslationcircus/> //
Children/Family
£13/£7 children/£30 family of four, early bird £10/6
bit.ly/wafhogwallops

20:00
Showcase Jazz Concert by World Heart Beat Music Academy <https://www.facebook.com/WorldHeartBeatAcademy/> //
Music
£10/£5 concessions/£5 children (under 18)
bit.ly/wafjazzconcert

8 May
16:00
The Hogwallops by The Lost In Translation Circus <https://www.facebook.com/lostintranslationcircus/> //
Children/Family
£13/£7 children/£30 family of four, early bird £10/6
bit.ly/wafhogwallops

20:00
Knot by Nikki and JD <https://www.facebook.com/NikkiandJD/> //
Circus
£13/£10 concessions, early bird £10
bit.ly/wafknot

10 May
20:00
Cypher Stories by Simple Cypher <https://www.facebook.com/simplecypher/> //
Dance
£13/£10 concessions, early bird £10
bit.ly/wafcypherstories

11 May
19:00
Grit by esprit concrete <https://www.facebook.com/espritconcrete/> //
Dance
£13/£10 concessions, early bird £10
bit.ly/wafgrit

21:00
Our House by Sadiq Sadiq & Vendetta Vain //
Circus
£13/£10 concessions, early bird £10
bit.ly/wafourhouse

12 May
14:00
Unlocked by Caius House Youth Club <https://www.facebook.com/CaiusHouseYouth/> //
Circus
£5/£3 concessions
bit.ly/wafunlocked

17:00
The Forgotten Night by Flying Fantastic <https://www.facebook.com/flyingfantastic1/> //
Circus
bit.ly/wafforgottennight

20:00
Fauna by FAUNA <https://www.facebook.com/FAUNAcircus/> //
Circus
£14/£10, early bird £10
bit.ly/waffauna

13 May
14:00
Pibroch Tales by Jayne Port //
Theatre/Performance
£10/£8 children/£30 family of four
bit.ly/wafpibrochtales

16:00
Grit by esprit concrete <https://www.facebook.com/espritconcrete/> //
Dance
£13/£10 concessions, early bird £10
bit.ly/wafgrit

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