Giffords Circus presents a brand new, socially distanced, totally fabulous, all singing, all dancing circus show and dining extravaganza – The Feast, opens this Friday, 14^th August at Fennells Farm near Stroud

You will be seated under the big top at your dining table where you will be served a three-course feast, whilst you feast your eyes on Giffords Circus acts and performers in our brand new summer show, featuring many returning favourites including Tweedy, Lil Rice and the Giffords Circus band.

“And now for something completely different,” says producer Lil Rice, quoting that wonderful catchphrase from Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
“We wanted to create something totally joyous to lift the spirits. It has been an emotional and challenging year for all of us, so we thought we could all do with a little Giffords Circus magic. As a result of current government guidelines, we cannot put on our planned show The Hooley, so we have now postponed it to 2021. Let’s celebrate our twentieth anniversary in style with a feast for all your senses.”

There will be three shows a day; lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, with a different menu and price for each. The seating is being adapted in the circus big top so dining tables can be laid out at an appropriate distance and all the rigorous changes have been made according to government guidelines. Our aim is to keep our audience, artistes and staff safe.

Giffords Circus is excited to welcome back one of the UK’s leading directors, Cal McCrystal to direct The Feast.

“First of all, it’s a joy to be working again! Rehearsals are underway and we are having a ball,” says Director Cal McCrystal.

“Circus people are very tactile and affectionate so the physical detachment we are observing at Fennells Farm is a big change from the usual social melee of circus life. We are taking the new rules very seriously as there is so much at stake. We usually rehearse in the spring, so this week feels like a bit of a summer holiday, albeit with a lot of hard work thrown in. We have a slightly smaller troupe this year to accommodate the dining elements, but The Feast has an awesome variety of acts performed by a mixture of Giffords regulars and some new faces. We have only five days to put this crazy show together, rather than our usual three weeks, but it is amazing how much you can get done when you are doing something you love.”

Something special for Giffords Circus 20^th Anniversary

Equestrienne Rebecca Musselwhite, formerly Townsend, returns to the Giffords big top with Bean an original Giffords Circus horse, bought by Nell Gifford in 2002 and who appeared with Rebecca in both the 2003 and 2004 shows. Rebecca bought Bean from Nell when she left the circus to set up Jive Pony her own all female equestrian stunt team and he has been the keystone to her journey, performing with her from 2005 to 2016. Bean is the beautiful white horse that you can see in Nell’s book The First Ten Years and has appeared in numerous productions, with his most moving performance being at Nell’s funeral in Gloucester Cathedral. Horses will always be at the heart of Giffords Circus, so to have Rebecca bring Bean back is incredibly poignant in the 20^th anniversary year of the circus. Bean, who is now 21, will be sharing his role with Navvie a beautiful black horse that Nell trained with for vaulting in 2012 for the The Saturday Book.