The all-new big top
IN the 21st century, circus has changed out of all recognition from the old stereotype and Cirque Surreal, coming to Manchester from Thursday, is at the cutting edge of new circus.It's an international show but created and guided by Congleton-born Philip Gandey, who hails from an old show-business family.
His grandfather founded the famous Gandey's circus and young Philip was himself performing as a knife-thrower at the age of 11, before taking on the roles of juggler, clown and ringmaster then eventually taking charge of the company when his father unexpectedly passed away. He was 17 years old at the time and had only just left Sandbach Grammar School.
Cirque Surreal's Voyagers is a two-hour thrill ride featuring 25 world class artistes, including Bulgarian daredevil acrobats Nikolay and Konstadin, who leap 25ft above, below and on to huge rotating wheels, and the remarkable Lui Jai Jai and Miao Chiang Wei, performing the legendary fusion of ballet, physical strength and acrobatics, known as the Oriental Swan.
Many of the performers will be familiar to fans of the Sky One reality hit TV series Cirque de Celebrite, in which artistes from Cirque Surreal trained a group of D-list celebrities in circus skills.
"This is a genuine ensemble show," insists Gandey, "and quite different from the old-style circuses which were run by the ringmaster.
"He, or occasionally she, would preside over something that was very much a closed shop. If you weren't born into a circus family, then you almost certainly wouldn't be performing. Over the last 20 years or so, that has changed radically as people from outside, with backgrounds in theatre or TV , have been bringing those sort of presentational skills to the art form.
"Circus these days isn't just a soggy canvas tent full of hard, wooden benches in the middle of a field somewhere, but a modern entertainment event. That's why the music has to be specially written for our show rather than just using some old standby tunes."
Publicist
"Philip has brought 50 years of experience to this production," adds his long-time publicist and working partner Tony Wilkie-Millar. "He and Carol have many times been judges at the Monte Carlo Festival Of Circus, which is the equivalent of the Oscars in the world of circus, as well as all sorts of smaller festivals in Europe and around the world.
"That gives him the chance to see all the best up-and-coming acts and this production draws on all his feeling for circus."
The Cirque Surreal performance follows the modern fable of five voyagers drawn from four continents - Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas - as they seek to gain recognition in a global community. The fifth voyager, representing the millions of stateless people, simply wants to belong.
"A remarkable Ukrainian-born and trained clown called Housch Ma Housch appeared as a guest for a week in the last tour and was so fantastic that we simply had to get him back for this whole tour," enthuses Tony. "The show revolves around him so, in a sense, he's replaced the ringmaster.
"Circus has no reason to exist beyond entertainment. It's not selling a message, it's an entertainment and an art form.
"Circus performers spend their whole lives learning and perfecting something, a totally unique skill, that can only be used in the context of circus. "Yet in a circus, you're mixing with an international community of artists and, if you don't like people, you're not going to fit in to that community.
"Circus performers don't have the same kind of egos. They're honest performers because what they do is for real, physically demanding and happening right then and there, nothing is pre-recorded.
"You don't go into the circus for an easy life!"
Cirque Surreal is at The Trafford Centre, Peel 7 car park, from Thursday until Sunday, April 27. Please call 0871 702 9205 or contact cirquesurreal.co.uk for more details.
Published: Fri, 04 April, 2008
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