Candyfloss and popcorn nostalgia at world’s oldest family-run circus
SIMPLE, old fashioned fun cannot be beaten. In this era of smartphones and Pokemon Go, when Facebook all but tells you what to eat for breakfast and what colour combinations to wear each day, it was refreshing to plonk myself down on an old chair in the stands with a big bag of popcorn and enjoy a Fossetts Circus show.
The crew rolled into town recently so I took The Good Woman, the Whirlwind Princess and The Little Fella along and they enjoyed every second of the two-hour show. The last circus I’d been to was back in the 1990s and apart from a bit of a Cirque de Soleil Show on Sky and the arthouse film Santa Sangre, the world of the circus performer was misty and opaque to me.
From the moment the lights dimmed and the music began the excitement was palpable, especially from the children. When the giant red curtains parted and the first act appeared, we knew we were in for a good show.
What followed was a visual feast from watching a ‘tiger woman’ juggle objects using her feet while lying on her back, to a strongman lie on a bed of nails with a strongman doing her damndest to impale him on them, to Otto the Clown with his funny expressions, the children were enthralled, eyes wide with wonder and hands frozen mid-air as they jawed their treats.
The quality of the acts was fantastic, with many of the performers still in their teens. As someone who is somewhat of a circus-skeptic, what with all the reports of animal cruelty one hears, I wasn’t sure what I’d be seeing in terms of animals. Would it be like Noah’s Ark in the tent or would it be a few ponies running in circles?
We got the latter and were impressed with the way the ponies could walk backwards in sequence and do their tricks.
Following the intermission, during which I somehow managed to escape only a tenner down from the concession stand, the fun and games continued. A girl entered a sphere and was cast aloft into the enveloping darkness, spinning and contorting her body effortlessly. The Whirlwind Princess’s face radiated joy and The Little Fella was rapt in wonderment, but that could have been the jellies.
The Strongman and Strongwoman returned for a bow and arrow routine, during which balloon props were used to demonstrate their accuracy. At one point the Strongman was at risk of losing an eye, but the merry archer struck true and there was no news story for yours truly. Otto the Clown’s silent movie routine, in which he brought three audience members into the hay strewn centre arena, was priceless and throughout the entertainers’ love of, erm, entertaining, was a joy to behold.
In 2014 the Fossetts family, who are based in Dublin, were in danger of financial ruin. The company, which traces its origins back to the 1880s, employs around 15 people and over the years and decades has built up a connection with audiences in towns across the country .
The circus can trace its roots back to a troupe started by Corkman George Lowe who toured Ireland before emigrating to the US. Herta Fossett escaped from Czechslovakia in the 1950s and hailing from a line of circus performers, married into one of Ireland’s most famous circus families. The family feeling of Fossetts Circus continues to this day, even with new acts joining the ranks. The candy floss and popcorn nostalgia of it all made the trip a memorable experience. Roll on next year’s show!