I have a confession … I am a massive Giffords fan. There is something about these beautifully crafted shows that draws crowds (and us) back year after year. This post comes a little towards the end of the Giffords season so if you don’t get the chance to see them this year, book in for next!
A bit about them:
“Giffords Circus is a magical village green circus that tours England throughout the summer.
Our costumes are handmade. Our animals are trained by us. Our sets are painted in the barns on our farm. We burn the midnight oil to conjure new visions for the show. It’s all we do. Circus is our job, our life, our love. Come to Giffords Circus and be a part of the magic.
Gypsy violinists, tap dancers, tight-rope walkers, trapeze artistes, stunt riders, opera singers, magicians, illusionists, gymnasts – all have inhabited Giffords Circus, and traveled with us, stopping to camp on village greens and throw open our doors to the rural families, farmers, weekenders, tourists, filmstars, rockstars, artists, pensioners, shop keepers, school children who so love our show and who make up our audience.”
2017 dates:
- 12 – 15 May Fennells Farm, Stroud
- 18 – 22 May Sudeley Castle,
- Winchcombe
- 25 May – 5 June Daylesford Organic Farm, Kingham
- 8 – 12 June Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
- 15 – 26 June Oxford University Parks, Oxford
- 29 June – 10 July Chiswick House & Gardens, London
- 13 – 17 July Stonor Park, Henley-on-Thames
- 20 – 31 July The Fox Inn, Barrington
- 3 – 7 August Frampton on Severn, Village Green
- 10 – 21 August Minchinhampton Common
- 24 August – 4 September Marlborough Common
- 7 – 18 September Stratton Meadows, Cirencester
- 21 – 24 September Fenn
ells Farm, Stroud
Why we love them:
A trip to Giffords is a stalwart in our summer season. The kids count the days until they get to immerse themselves in the frenzy of animal antics, acrobatics and acoustics. The charm of a small top, village green affair is not lost on any of us and we embrace the intimacy of it all.
Our best bit:
It’s hard to choose, it’s all so good. The kids would hands down say Tweedie the clown – a king of slapstick who easily juggles the age range of his audience. He’s joined this year by other comedy acts David Pilikut & the Moustache Brothers – easily matching Tweedie’s pace with dry wit and physical humour. But it doesn’t stop there – there’s the Sol Troupe acrobats (the things they did with a skipping rope still boggle the mind), Sergii Poliakov (a very flexible Ukranian – one for the mums), Alina Shpynova (a very flexible Ukranian – one for the dads), Dany Reyes (who’s juggling skills build to an eyewatering crescendo of technicality) and once again there’s music by the outstanding musical director James Keay. Or maybe, just maybe it’s just the hedonistic mix of old fashioned innocence with a big dolop of glamour that keeps us coming back every year.
