Roll up for Giffords’ ‘wonderful world’
As another magical tour by Giffords Circus nears the end of the road, director Cal Mccrystal tells GL about the show, his time with the company and what makes it tick
THE tour of a circus show inspired by all things Mexican will soon come to an end in the green fields of Gloucestershire. ¡Carpa! is the latest show by the Cotswolds’ own Giffords Circus and this summer it has entertained audiences as far as London and Northamptonshire, but it’s finishing off on ‘home’ soil. It’s at Stratton Meadows, Cirencester, until September 19 and then at Fennells Farm, Stroud, from September 22 to October 2.
Established in 2000 by Nell and Toti Gifford, Giffords is a magical village green circus that combines dance, comedy, horses and live music in a white tent surrounded by vintage-style burgundy showman’s wagons. It has a broad and dedicated following that even includes rock stars and royalty.
Acclaimed writer and director, Cal Mccrystal, shares his experiences of ¡Carpa!, how he first came to be involved with the circus and why they decided on a Mexican theme:
■ How did you first get involved in Giffords 11 productions ago?
My friend John Walton was appearing in the 2011 Giffords show, War & Peace. He suggested me as director of the 2012 show. Nell and Toti asked me to come see the show and have a chat with them. There was an instant chemistry and they offered me the job there and then.
■ What was it like to collaborate with founder Nell?
Nell [who died in December 2019] was the best producer I have ever worked with. She was trusting, wise and supportive. Everyone could see she was completely dedicated to the circus, and she poured all her love and energy into it. Nell was our inspiration. In Giffords, she created something beautiful, and we all strive to live up to her passion and artistry.
■ What is it about Giffords that keeps you coming back for more?
Before I arrived, Giffords changed directors every year. After my first show, The Saturday Book, Nell saw I shared her vision and asked me to stay on. During the time she was ill, it was an advantage to have people she could trust around her, looking after the wonderful world she had built. It’s a real creative challenge to make a new Giffords show every year, but I love it. For me, it’s the time I can let my imagination go crazy.
■ How is Giffords different from any other circus?
It’s a very strong brand: beautiful, English, sometimes nostalgic. Giffords is more than the sum of its parts. It’s the storytelling, the aesthetic, the attention to detail, the family atmosphere, the gorgeous estates or commons where we pitch our tent. The other thing that makes Giffords different is the theatricality of the productions. In some ways we are an old-school traditional
circus, but the shows always have a strong comic narrative and a touch of pathos. This gives us a contemporary edge.
■ This year’s show ¡Carpa! is Mexican themed. Can you tell us a bit more about how this decision was made?
Nell usually had an idea for a theme and would discuss its potential with me before a decision was made. We had talked about various ideas before she died so there are still some ‘in the bank’, so to speak.
The idea for this year’s show came from the wonderful Lil Rice. Lil is Nell’s niece and was producing Giffords for the last couple of years. She had spent some time in Mexico with her sister, Kitty. They both thought a Mexican theme would be inspiring, and I agreed. I had worked in Mexico several times, and for ¡Carpa! we brought over my favourite Mexican actress, Adriana Duch. Adriana was brilliant in a comedy play I directed at the National Theatre of Mexico some years ago.
■ Do you work from a script or more of a storyboard, or is the show improvised and structured during rehearsals?
After the formulation of the idea, some decisions about content must be made far in advance of rehearsals so that designers and the art and costume teams can get a head start. I generally do a first draft running order taking in to account a long list of considerations. For example, how much time a performer might need between their acts, keeping space between comedy numbers, likewise with aerial acts. I also need to think about putting the acts in a narrative order that builds momentum. Also taking into account rigging time and how often the carpet needs to come in and out etc.
The fun part for me begins in rehearsal. I have always weaved a narrative of some kind through the show. It’s a delicate operation as circus artists are not actors and whatever story I am telling needs to play to their strengths. Much of the creation of the story happens in rehearsal after I have got to know everyone a little. It’s always a gift to work with Tweedy [the clown], who comes to rehearsal with dozens of great ideas. He is a joy to be around and endlessly creative.
■ How do you go about finding all the artists who make up the
company?
Giffords has a great reputation in the circus world and many artists write to us asking to be considered. Kelly Rumbelow puts feelers out to agents and between us we whittle down the shortlist to our ideal company drawn from performers from all over the world. Although the tour is hard work for everyone, we often have artists asking us if they can come back the following year. As I must make a completely different show every year, this isn’t possible, but every now and again we will invite artists who have more to give back for another show.
■ Can you tell us a bit about some of the characters in the show?
The show is set around the time of the Mexican Revolution, and we reflect the society that existed at that time. Adriana plays our high-status grande dame – Doña Rosa Francisca Juana Margarita María Magdalena de los Querubines Limantour del Rincón de la Calle Jiménez de Martínez y Rodríguez Cabeza de Vaca del Corral Florido! She keeps her servants in check and makes sure that Tweedy doesn’t get up to too much mischief. She also has a couple of beautiful daughters looking for romance.
We couldn’t make a Mexican story without caballeros and this year we have welcomed back one of the world’s greatest vaulting acts, The Donnerts. .
■ As the first concept to be fully developed without Nell, how does ¡Carpa! keep Nell’s vision for Giffords alive? What would she make of it?
Nell was (and is) my muse and I know she would love the theme. She always encouraged my ideas and was wonderfully generous in her praise when she saw the audience reactions to the finished show. When you have a close and loving working friendship with someone for 10 years there is a symbiosis. Nell assembled a great team, tried and trusted through the years. We are keeping the circus going for her. I know she would be proud.
■ Giffords is always full of surprises. Without giving too much away, is there anything particularly special or unusual about this year’s show?
One of the key characters is a divine deity. I think we perform minor miracles in all our shows but this year we may have some special help...