On Wednesday 23rd of October, Circus Vegas had their opening night on the Ealing Common, displaying an enthralling performance, packed with talent and entertainment.
Circus Vegas managed to produce a perfect balance of authentic and classic circus alongside new elements of danger and excitement, encapsulating a feeling of nostalgia, contrasted with the thrill of the more dangerous acts.
An acknowledgement must go out to the flawless lighting team as this brought the performance to life, focusing our attention on the performers when necessary, and distracting us between the swift changes of set on stage.
The use of a clown to involve the crowd added a necessary comical break from the exhilaration of the other performances, breaking the fourth wall and regaining our attention throughout the two hour performance.
The tight rope act was most captivating, requiring a fearless nature, with a level of precision needed that was truly admirable.
I was lucky enough to speak with the Spanish performer, Jefferson, afterwards, who claimed he could deal with the pressures of the crowd because “anything is possible when you put your emotion into it“, showing how devoted they are to the circus and the level faith of faith that they have in their other performers as they are truly risking their lives to entertain the crowd.
He believes that to be successful you need to have “close attention and goals“ and as a performer who has 35 years of experience, he has used this to master the art of tight rope walking.
With the rise of social media and reduction in performing art attendance, Jefferson claims that it is a “ struggle “ to keep up to date and modernise the circus, but has dealt with this by making his acts more dangerous and daring, tending to the crowds desire for the extreme.
The performance Circus Vegas displayed was sublime and entertained ages from young children to adults, presenting their ability to entertain a varied audience and shows the circus as truly versatile.
