Shropshire Star

Spectacular circus fun in Shrewsbury Quarry

Roll up, roll up, the circus is in town.

Published

Aerialists swing through the air with the greatest of ease while acrobats tumble and twirl in a giant Big Top in the Quarry, Shrewsbury.

The Chinese State Circus has rolled in to town for a five-day extravaganza. The renowned circus, which features some of the world’s top performers who have recently appeared on Britain’s Got Talent and Live at the Palladium, will be giving daily shows until Sunday.

Binky Beaumont, from Gandey World Class Productions, said a total of 2,000 years of rehearsals had gone into creating one incredible two-hour performance.

Said Debbach, company manager added: “It’s an exciting spectacle of acrobatics and artistry, with our stars pushing the boundaries of athleticism and dexterity.”

Among the acts, everyday objects are transformed into hi-tech acrobatic equipment. The show features hurtling porcelain jars, spinning plates, acrobats balancing upon gigantic pyramids of tables and chairs framed by the delicate strands of silk supporting cascading aerialists.

The non-stop action from start to finish is set to a soaring musical score accompanied by Chinese percussion. Many of the feats could until now could only be created video through special effects but the Chinese State Circus perform them live. in front of an audience The history of the Chinese State Circus spans 25 years when it was conceived by creative director Phillip Gandey who became the first circus director in Europe to obtain permission from the Chinese Cultural authorities to be allowed to tour a Big Top production of his own creation performed entirely by Chinese acrobats.

He said: “In our latest production we have returned to the pure and honest perfection in acrobatics upon which our reputation is based.

“We have the world class artistes capable of performing the excellence required.”