Santus Circus

Santus Circus – Maidstone – 09/04/10

The Show: Although advertised at starting at 5pm, in fact it didn’t start until 20 minutes past. Luckily it was a patient audience! This years show is billed as ‘Paris to Peking’ due to the Santus being a French family but the majority of the acts are performed by an all male Chinese troupe. And extremely good they are too! They came on several times doing skipping, hoop diving, climbing poles including use of the trampoline and more! The show was obviously built around them.

Other acts included the space wheel including something I don’t think I have seen before, the male in the act going round it on stilts! Fantastic! The Juggler also deserves a mention – amazing! Other acts included a great silks act and comedy came from Sacha, Lucien and Clunky. Perhaps not the funniest of Clowns, they nonetheless had a certain likeability (the young one looks like Lil Chris!) and had well thought out and skilful acts. The acts were introduced by Ringmaster Ernest Santus who certainly looked and sounded the part.

Oddly the first half of the show only lasted half an hour! And what with starting 20 minutes late you did wonder if you’d been robbed a bit!! Fortunately the second half was a bit longer but perhaps another act or two is required to fill it out a bit. Nonetheless the quality of the acts that do appear are top class and you can’t argue with that!

Housekeeping: Lovely Big top and entrance foyer with great painted lorries but I thought more could be done inside the entrance foyer than a bland tent. Perhaps they could put up framed old posters or programmes or art by Eva Santus who is an extremely talented artist. SOMETHING at least. I do not know what they sold. No announcements were ever made. I think it was pop corn and drinks and candy floss and light up sticks etc but all were mostly sold from the wagon and if they had made announcements of what was on offer they might do better in their sales?? Recorded music with a live drummer but a great choice of traditional Circus music and up to date sounds.

The staff/artists were absolutely lovely from the box office to the show time.

For photos of the show feel free to visit http://circusdays.webs.com