The third part of this half term holiday feature takes us into the big top and right to the magical heart of Jay Millers Circus, which is currently touring Sussex. Since the circus became an environment for displaying the skills of humans, rather than animals, its popularity has increased dramatically and, with just a few minutes until the show begins, the big top is getting very full indeed.
Although the show features artists from all over the world, the heart of the circus is very much a family affair and the first act we see is the youngest of the Miller children, JJ the nine year old unicyclist, who introduces the contortionist Miss Paige. She performs on a bed in the centre of the, square, rink and bends and twists herself into many and varied positions – she even ends up sitting on her own head!
This year is the 27th touring season for this circus, but the first year for their new Ringmistress, Katie Rogers, and it is she who introduces several members of the cast to give us a taste of what the rest of the show has to offer, and it’s going to be a feast of physical skill and dexterity with some slapstick comedy thrown in too.
Next Peppi the Clown makes his first appearance and, before very long, the audience find themselves getting sprayed with water in his first slapstick routine while, behind the watery action, the circus ring is set up for a high speed, high energy, routine by the Whirlwind Roller Skaters – The Miller Duo.
More high speed, high skill action follows when Hungarian circus star Zsolt performs his diablo act. There is very little I can say that will adequately express exactly how good his act is – so I’ll simply say WOW!! Although he’s a hard act to follow, the action heads high above the ring next as Miss Zsofia takes to the Aerial Swing in a demonstration of skill and grace that leaves us simply breathless.
Peppi returns, with the assistance of one audience member, to perform his bullwhip and gun act although the wisdom of giving a clown a whip and gun has to be very questionable! Again, as he distracts the audience, the rink is set for the Chinese Pole act which, although normally performed by Will, is today performed by Marvel Comics superhero star, Spiderman. He is followed by the final first half act, which is another family affair as The Miller Sisters perform their very slick and incredibly graceful aerial act.
After the interval Peppi the Clown gets another chance to make us laugh before Florian Carabin jumps onto his high platform to perform his Rola Bola balancing act and then Cathalina takes the action even higher with her act on the Roman Rings.
The final two acts are Hula Hoop Diva Miss Jodi and the Trick Cyclist act, The Kucherenko Family who bring the action back down to floor level, but keep the skill level way up high, before Ringmistress Katie leads us into the finale.
Although Circus has been around for hundreds of years, it continues to evolve and, if anything, to become even more family-friendly and an afternoon at Jay Millers Circus, with its superb family atmosphere, has been a perfect addition to my son’s dream half-term holiday.
Jay Millers Circus continues to tour Sussex with performances at Seaford, Martello Fields until June 1st and then in Eastbourne, at Stone Cross Garden Centre (Off Ditton Road), from Tuesday June 3rd until Sunday June 8th