On the first day of summer, with the wind howling around us and rain pouring down, we enter the big top of Jay Miller’s Circus and, almost immediately, leave all thoughts of the horrific weather behind us as, one after another, the talented performers take us on a wonderful circus journey.
With the smell of popcorn and candy floss filling the air, the lights dim and Ringmaster Ross Farrer introduces us to the cast in a lively dance number, fronted by a tightrope walker, together with an aerial performer and a contortionist, just to give us a flavour of the traditional, and not so traditional, acts that are to follow.
Matyi offers up the first full act with an incredible display of skill with the Diablo. Trick after trick hold the capacity audience’s full attention and, as the lights go out and the act continues, using lighted diablos and with Matyi wearing a pair of black trousers that also light up, the applause gets louder and louder.
The youngest of the Miller sisters, Paige, takes to the air next to perform in the Aerial Cube, followed by a traditional juggling act performed by the Scarlette Senoritas before Clown Peppi starts to cause mayhem in the ring with the first of his set pieces.
A visit from a very acrobatic team of Power Rangers has many of the youngsters in the audience wishing that they too were Rangers before we calmly head to the interval with the strength and elegance of Julia Szegedi performing on the vertical pole.
After a very busy interval full of face painting, photos with the Power Rangers, sweets, drinks and even a raffle as well, the second half starts with Tamas Lovei juggling footballs, firstly in the circus ring and then high above it – atop a very precarious looking pole.
While that apparatus is removed and the ring prepared for the next act, Peppi entertains us with his new bicycle – although it would not be wise to take that one out on the road any time soon!
Beauty and strength are soon on display again when a half naked Matyi returns to the ring, this time with his performance partner Jodi, as Duo Molnar and together they display seemingly effortless power in their Aerial Straps act.
One of the most unusual acts on display is Miss Monika and her Bubbles Bonanza. Nothing that I could say here would do justice to her simple, but totally amazing, act in which she creates bubbles small enough to hold in the palm of her hand, and large enough to enclose a small child!
For the first time in the UK, The Mask (alias Taras Nadtochii), performs a breathtaking contortion act which is both painful and incredibly fascinating to behold as he twists his body in ways that it was never meant to go, at one point passing through the middle of a tennis racquet.
After Peppi’s final visit to the ring, in which I was more involved that I was happy to be, The OG Juniors (Julia, Istvan, Henrik and Roberto), a troupe of teenagers from Hungary, fill the ring with jumps and tumbles as they fly though the air in their superb Teeterboard (see-saw) routine.
The finale sees the entire cast back in the ring eagerly lapping up the applause from the, now dry, audience who head off into weather that was a lot better than when we arrived, all smiling after witnessing one of the most incredible touring family circuses in the country.
**** Four Stars