There aren’t many circuses around nowadays, but James Richards Circus came through Gt Harwood this week, so we took the family to see it tonight. It’s not expensive, with full adult prices at just £10, and most nights tickets are discounted as well. Even if it had been twice the price, though, it would have been well worth it!
We arrived early at 5:30 to grab seats, and the place filled up before 6pm. The show lasted until around 7:30 with a 15 minute break in the middle.
The setup is very much a small, friendly, close-to-the-action type of venue. In the Big Top are some stalls with seating and then some more chairs laid out in front of that as they obviously kept running out of room (with being so popular!). There are candy floss, slushies, popcorn and snacks for sale, and fun light-up toys to buy. The atmosphere is very relaxed and all the entertainers and support crew are very friendly and helpful. So helpful, in fact, that when they heard how we had accidentally bought tickets for the following week in a different county (yes – we did that), they laughed and said to just go in and find a seat!
The acts are superb, typical circus acts, with a modern feel. The clown is the cleaner, Mr N, who entertains everybody between acts with his interaction with the Ringmaster. The skillful acrobats juggle with hands, and feet, and perform acts of daring in front of the audience. Fire, smoke, music and light feature strongly in providing the atmosphere surrounding these. The unicyclist is excellent, demonstrating difficult skills on the short unicycle, and then even more dangerous feats on an 8 foot tall version!
As well as the daring and breathtaking acts of the acrobats, there are some very entertaining bears who dance to a variety of music, a polar bear who the children can have photos taken with, and a pair of illusionists with a show that leaves you wondering how on earth that last part happened!
All in all it was a superb evening. Everybody would enjoy it – kids and adults alike. We had ages 2, 8, 12, 19, 38 and 40 along with us, and everybody loved it. If they appear near you then you should definitely take a look.
James Richards Circus is at Gt Harwood, Lancashire, until tomorrow, and then heads off the Mirfield, West Yorkshire next week. Take a look at their website for further shows, or visit their Facebook page.