Wednesday, December 19, 2012

do do doodle doo doo do do do do

We went to the circus last night! My brother got us  free tickets! Axl was reluctant as Bodhi was insisting he didn't want to go, and he knew Olivia would complain of cold/shoes etc etc. So he drove us in grumpily - it's on in Kilmainham and I knew I'd be hard pushed to find it, so I really needed his navigation skills. Of course it was totally unsighnposted, so it took us three circuits to find it, but third time lucky, and now I know where the Royal Hospital is...

I'm iffy about circuses, and Fossett's in particular, as I once read an article about Marion Fossett being found beating baby chimps - which is an inexcusable crime in my book. But there are no animals in the pared down Christmas Circus they're working at the moment. We actually went before and there were wolves and ponies (not at the same time) and also a globe of death motorbike act that was well impressive - but none of that at the moment.

Highlights are Yuri's comedy trampoline act, including him coming over to ask my brother's girlfriend for a cuddle, then running away waving a bra triumphantly and making a naughty 'call me' gesture from the trampoline (that was actually hilariously unexpected), and then returning shirtless with muscles on top of his alarming muscles to do a v beautiful gymnastic swing act with a girl, both in white, dreamy music... it was really lovely in its skill and simplicity.

There's a classic Hungarian family, Peroxide mother in her fifties, identical daughter in her twenties, father and brother too, all in sparkly blue velour, who do swings and flips and blindfold somersaults over a fiery bar (Bodhi had to shut his eyes). There was something so classically, tragically romantic about it, the dying days of the circus. It could have been 1932, you know? The whole things was wonderfully crappy and tawdry, yet still clinging on to its circus magic a little.

There was a wonderful double jointed gymnast, who came on and did cocky hula hooping and then later dressed in white and alien-like blue face paint and in the blue light, doing incredible contortions (the dude can put his ass on his own head!). He looked strange and Eastern European, ever so slightly not human with his cold, impassive expression and physical twistyness.
It turns out he's Darragh from Limerick! Apart from needing a new stage name, I REALLY would love to hear his story, from Limerick to travelling contortionist.

There was lots of clowning - both my brother and Axl got called up by Otto the clown, my brother excaped relatively unscathed but Axl had to do some hula hooping, while Olivia broke her arse laughing beside me (I couldn't breathe!!). It was quite wonderful, to be honest, even though it was a bit of a sacrifice on his part. He said a small boyscout came and asked if the seat beside him was free, then said, 'here, was that you doing the hula hooping?? You were very good. Would you like a sweet?' Bless! He also got complimented outside while having a smoke - 'here, was that you with the clown? More power to you, I would have run away'. Front row seats, folks, dangerous. The trampolinist came over to ask Bodhi for a high five, and he literally vibrated with terror, thinking he was going to be dragged onto the trampoline. My kids are not volunteerers, sadly. Still, he had fun, and hopefully his unfounded fear of the circus has been laid to rest.

A good night!

**UPDATE** I just want to add a little caveat to this post. I meant to include a bit more about the weird crappiness of the circus experience, and I think I forgot to and got carried away by my own enthusiasm a bit.  Hilariously, it's a fairly cheap and shoddy production - for example, the cast come on and sing a little welcoming song and do a little step around dance in rows, which is fabulously cringeworthy. It's all so dated and a little pathetic, in an entertaining way. I was a bit boggled by it. The ring master is an imposing woman in  her ... fifties? Sixties?? with hair down to her knees who sings a maudlin Christmas song on her own at the end, in fake snow. It's ... brilliant, but really as much for its kitsch oddness value as for its impressive bits.

I'd still say go, but... be ready for the weirdness and horirble portaloos :) 

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jo, I think you are secretly being paid as a guerilla marketer for Fossetts ; - )

After that description, I immediately went onto their website to look at the dates and times and would have bought tickets straight away if I hadn't had to wait until the various illnesses that are plaguing our winter-miserable house pass before letting my children out the door again ... It sounds wonderfully old fashioned. I like the idea of something that will amaze and wow my children that doesn't come from inside a screen.

Sonja

Jo said...

Sonja, I have to confess, it was weird and crappy and also wonderful. For example, they come on at the start and do a little welcoming song and dance! And we had a lot of fun. So yeah, old fashioned circus goodness :) They're here til the end of the first week of January, so you've all got time to recover!

Just don't sit in the front row ;)

catherine said...

SOUNDS LIKE A MAGICAL XMASSY NIGHT OUT..MAKES ME SMILE FOR YOU.. :))
oops..hope you have a lovely one..and the kids..warmest wishes xx

Jo said...

Same to you, Catherine, Happy Christmas :)