40 Years of Zippos!

 

Circus Posters - A Disappearing Art Form?

In an article that originally appeared in The Stage, Circus Mania author Douglas McPherson asks big top insiders about the changing face of circus advertising.

Posters have been the main form of circus advertising for as long as big tops have travelled the land. In the middle of the last century, brightly painted pictures of snarling lions and ornately made-up clowns whetted appetites for the arrival in town of Billy Smart’s or Chipperfields.

Today, animals have almost completely vanished from British circuses, and clowns have toned down their make-up to nearly nothing. In an increasingly online world, are posters also about to fade into history?

Paulo’s Circus is believed to be the first in the country, and probably the world, to have stopped using posters, along with leaflets and physical tickets, in a drive to go completely paperless.

“Our decision to stop using posters stemmed from a number of reasons. Chief among them, waste,” says showman Kenny Darnell Jr, whose family has been in the circus business for seven generations and traded under the Paulo’s brand for more than 120 years. 

“Posters aren’t reusable, they’re wasteful, they make a mess when fly posted and are often slapped onto anything sticky tape will cling to, just so the biller can be rid of them quickly. Personally, I was done with the whole thing.”

Darnell’s memories of billing – as putting up posters is known – are less than happy.

“It was hard work, traipsing around town all day, going shop to shop, asking the same question, ‘Can we pop a poster in your window?’. Rejection was part and parcel of it. Not every shop wants a circus display in their window and then there was the circus politics, other circuses tearing down your posters, and occasionally things getting a bit... physical. Tedious, wasteful and to be honest not a terribly dignified way to advertise.

“I knew there had to be a smarter, more efficient way. Surely circus could tap into this new market online?”

As proof of the power of purely online marketing, Paulo’s in 2024 sold 1000 tickets to a venue Darnell hadn’t even booked – he announced only the county and dates. “And yep, we sold out 14 shows in a row at that venue, two months later. That to me is the power of innovation.”

One reason circus posters were once so visible is a clause in the Town and County Planning Act that specifically exempts circuses and funfairs from needing planning permission to display advertising for limited periods. 

They need permission from property owners, but that has left some grey areas such as telephone poles where a poster may have served its purpose before the owner of the pole requests its removal.

Empty shops are another popular target. Billers have long perfected ‘door dropping’ by which posters attached to sticky tape are slid over the top of a locked glass door to hang down on the inside.

“I was rather skilled at that,” says Darnell. But in retrospect, he says, “I’d hazard a guess that it’s illegal. It certainly looks dodgy. Not a great look for the circus.”

Postering the wrong places can cause complaints from residents and sometimes leads to prosecution. In 2022, Exchange Events Ltd twice appeared at Liverpool Magistrates Court, fined £1500 and £2000, for illegally promoting Gandey’s circus.

“Fly posting is a serious issue,” says Darnell. “I’d be in favour of stricter penalties, or even a licensing system to regulate poster usage. At least that way there’s accountability and some of the revenue could go towards cleaning up the mess left behind over the years, that many shows, us included at one point, have all contributed to.”

The circus industry's reliance on posters has declined over the past 20 years as online advertising and social media engagement grew.

When Martin Burton founded Zippos Circus 40 years ago, he distributed 5000 - 6000 posters per venue. Today it's around 2500. 

Although Burton says he lacks the courage to dispense with posters altogether, he believes they no longer catch the eye on a high street plastered with advertising, and foresees a day when they will disappear completely.

In another break with tradition, Burton has stopped buying local newspaper adverts, having noticed that nobody redeemed the discount codes anymore. Instead, he spends the money – and more – on social media ads, with a full time member of staff dedicated to online marketing. 

Another former mainstay of circus advertising that has fallen out of fashion is leaving piles of leaflets, with discount coupons, on the counters of shops and petrol stations. 

Since Covid, says Burton, “Nobody would pick them up.”

Big Kid Circus, by contrast, still relies “heavily” on local newspaper advertising and believes that posters will always have a role to play alongside online marketing.

“From our market research, posters still have a big impact. People still expect to see them,” says artistic director Julia Kirilova. “We are a business which depends a lot on feelings and nostalgia. Everyone knows circus and has a distinct memory of it. Our job is to find a way to make them remember that feeling, whether that is through a short video clip on TikTok or a poster.” 

While some big top bosses may welcome a future without the chore of billing, circus historian Dr Steve Ward regards circus posters as an important part of our cultural heritage.

“As a child growing up in the 1950s, circus posters were very much a part of everyday life,” Ward says. “They seemed to be everywhere – shop windows, telegraph poles, walls, fence panels etc. Brightly coloured and often quite garish, they offered entry into another world of excitement, danger, and fun.”

In his book Nineteenth Century Circus Poster Art, Ward recounts how innovations in printing technology during that time saw posters evolve from a list of acts to a fully illustrated art form.

“As the saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words,” says Ward. “The second half of the 19th century could be referred to as the early golden age of the circus with some very fine posters to match.”

Since then, poster art has evolved with the circus itself, from paintings of headline acts in the mid-20th century to photographic images, and the more abstract designs used by some contemporary companies. 

“Social media cannot replace the impact of a brightly coloured circus poster that elicits a feeling of childhood nostalgia in many people,” Ward concludes. “For me, circus poster art will continue to adapt to new trends, as it has done so over the last 250 years, but it will survive. It will be a sad day for us all if it does not.”

Dinosaurs in a Circus! Big Kid Circus hits the road with Jurassic

 

Lions and tigers may have disappeared from Britain's big tops, but this year Big Kid Circus is parading bigger beasts: Dinosaurs!

Last year, Big Kid staged probably the most visually-striking travelling circus show in the country with Kingdom of Kong, featuring a 40-foot-tall animatronic ape.

This year, they're back on the road with a brand new show: Jurassic. And as these pics show, it looks like it's a monster!

A gathering of showmen... to discuss the future of the circus

 

Martin 'Zippo' Burton addresses Britain's largest gathering of circus bosses,
with Clive Webb of Cirque du Hilarious in front row.

What is the collective noun for circus directors? How about a glittering of showmen?

The above picture (kindly supplied by Paulos Circus) is from last month's Association of Circus Proprietors of Great Britain meeting, which saw what has been claimed to be the largest gathering of big top owners ever assembled in the UK, and perhaps the world.

The attendance at the Leonardo Hotel in Hinckley Island, Leicestershire, included both ACP members and non-members, friends and rivals.

They came together as part of an effort by the industry to have circus made part of the government's Intangible Cultural Heritage inventory and recognised as a cultural tradition worthy of safeguarding.

The Intangible Cultural Heritage convention was established by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) in 2003 to preserve living traditions around the globe in areas such as performing arts, social practices, and traditional craftsmanship that are passed down through generations.

The UK signed up to the convention in 2024, and the ACP believes ICH status "Will put circus on a par with other art forms – a situation that exists in most of continental Europe."

"It will also provide Circus with a right to be consulted as an equal partner and stakeholder when government policy for the Arts and other associated matters is under consideration," the ACP states.

So far, more than 10,000 people have signed a government petition, which surpassed the threshold where the government has to consider the application.

You can sign the petition by clicking here.

In theory, ICH status could enhance the standing of circuses when approaching local authorities to book showgrounds or apply for funding. However, it was apparent from Facebook discussions after the event that some show runners remain unclear what the benefits will be.

Kenny Darnell Jr of Paulos Circus was at the meeting, and has kindly given us his insider's view of the proceedings:

“My position on the proposed ICH status still remains somewhat reserved. Although I support it in principle, I do not yet feel sufficiently informed to form a definitive view on it, I'm afraid. I am aware that Ireland has already secured ICH recognition for circus, yet it appears to have brought about little tangible change in practice or protection there. That in itself invites further scrutiny as to what meaningful impact such status would deliver here.

“Although it was said that around 50 individuals were in attendance, I would estimate the number to have been closer to 40, looking back on my photos from the meeting. It's also worth saying that not all present were circus proprietors. Even in my own case, I attended as a manager, representing my Father & our family’s circus, rather than in the capacity of proprietor. There was still a sense of separation between the ACP members & non ACP members, even with the narrative of we should be working together towards a common goal.

“The meeting itself offered very limited clarity. It lacked the depth & detail one might have expected for a matter of such cultural significance, even the anticipated contribution from the DCMS (Department of Culture, Media and Sport) did not happen, as their representative failed to appear via video link, which rather undermined the gravity of the discussion, or answered all the questions being raised.

“That being said, the conversation surrounding the preservation & recognition of circus as a living tradition is an important one. Our industry has endured, adapted & evolved for generations. Whatever course is taken, it must genuinely serve & safeguard the future of the circus in all its forms. Circus has been around for generations before us, & all in the room want to work to ensure its survival for generations to come.

“Long live the circus”

Kenny Darnell Jr's family has been in the circus business for seven generations and traded under the Paulo’s brand for more than 120 years. Click here to visit the Paulo's Facebook page.

Review: The Greatest Show On Earth, Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey, 2026 Edition

 

Singing show guide Lauren Irving introduces
the Greatest Show on Earth

The big news of 2023 was the return of the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey's Greatest Show On Earth, revived and reinvented after a six year break. And I have to say I loved it. You can read my review here.

This year sees a revamped iteration of the arena-sized spectacular. Is it bigger and better? Would it wow me just as much?

Well.

Hmm.

Notwithstanding a couple of standout moments that we will come to in a moment, I found it harder to get engaged with, let alone excited by, the show this time around.

Part of that might just be my familiarity with the format. You only once get the excitement of seeing something for the first time, and I seldom enjoy things as much the second time around.

Because this is not in any way a new show. It's the 2023 edition with a few tweaks of the kind that any circus makes to its programme from season to season.

The colourful set, resembling a child's building blocks, is largely the same, and many of the same (excellent) acts are back, including the Navas Troupe's double wheel of death, and the criss-crossing flying trapeze of the Flying Caceras.

Criss-crossing trapeze flyers

Do I detect, though, a slight dialling back of the budget?

The cast seems to have been reduced from 75 to 65, which may not be particularly noticeable.

But I definitely noticed the absence of the raised, illuminated revolving stage that formed a colourful centrepiece to the original show.

That central island, which continually changed colour, added a touch of real pizzazz. It's been replaced by a flat swirling pattern on the floor, which just isn't the same.

In fact, that flat central floor emphasises the fact that we are in a big impersonal sports hall, and magnifies one of my problems with the original production. Ringling may have a hundred year tradition of producing three ring circuses in giant tents, and may have moved into arenas of this type in the 1950s... but for me circus isn't suited to such big spaces.

I prefer the intimacy of a single ring in a cosy big top where everything is up close. Where you can see the sweat on a performer's brow and feel the perilous height of aerialists who are almost directly overhead.

In a cavernous arena, by contrast, all the empty space above and around acrobats reduced by distance to the size of stick men seems to drain any sense of connection to their performances. 

Unless you go equipped with binoculars, it would be hard to appreciate the flexibility of contortionist Jordan McKnight when you can barely see her.

Jordan McKnight

As for Ringling's robot dog... Paulos Circus in the UK has one (in their case it's dressed as a lion) and it works as a fun gimmick trotting around in a traditional size ring. But in the centre of a huge arena... it's just a speck from most seats, and makes no impact at all.

The only Ringling acts that really need such a big space are the criss-crossing flying trapeze, the 34-foot-tall unicycle of Wesley Williams, and Skyler Miser's climatic Ringling Rocket - a human cannonball act that sees her flying 40 feet in the air over a 110 foot distance that spans the entire arena.

All the other acts, I am sure, would have far more impact in a one-ring big top.

Ringling does its best to fight the lack of atmosphere with a lot of music and ensemble dancing, but it often comes off as padding.

Despite these criticisms, however, there are strong acts on display. The truly large-scale acts of Williams and Miser are definite highlights.

Henan Acrobatic Group

The standout moment for me comes during a display of trick bicycle riding by the Henan Acrobatic Group. The finale of their act sees nine cyclists race across the arena in a straight line towards a tenth performer standing in front of them.

At the last moment, he leaps over the head of the first cyclist. Then he runs along the shoulders of the following eight cyclists, using them like stepping stones rushing beneath him, until he lands again on the floor.

I've never seen that before. And it's for those 'never seen that before' moments that you buy a ticket to the Greatest Show on Earth.

Is this the coolest-sounding circus of 2026? Gandeys' K-Pop Dragon Circus

 

Every circus needs a gimmick, and it looks like Gandeys has come up with an on-trend theme for its 2026 tour with its K-Pop Dragon Circus.

Gandeys, of course, has a long tradition of mixing 'East and West' in shows like the Chinese State Circus and Ladyboys of Bangkok, as well as touring annually in the Far East.

It will be bringing Chinese State Circus elements such as the Lion Dance to its new show, themed around the tale of a baby dragon, and set to a soundtrack that mixes K-Pop with western pop.

Check out the promo video:

This blog is brought to you by our sponsor...

 

The perfect cuppa for a night at the circus!

Actress Tippi Hedren just 'lion around' with her pet.

 

Back when you could buy a baby elephant in Harrods!

 

Circus Extreme 'Rock It Out' Review

 

One of the great things about circus is that no matter how many shows you have seen, and how many times you have been wowed, you will always, on any visit to any show, probably see at least one thing you have never seen before and be wowed all over again.

In Circus Extreme's 2025 offering, Rock It Out, my 'never seen that before' moments started with the opening number which saw a live rock band, fronted by a female singer, being lowered from the roof of the big top to the ring on a couple of platforms as they played, while dancers on motorbikes were lowered on ropes alongside them (See pic above)

It has to be said that the loud rock soundtrack to Rock It Out won't be to everyone's taste. But rock is in Circus Extreme's DNA. The show's late founder, John Haze previously founded and starred in the long-running Circus of Horrors, a cult show that grew out of a rock band, and the desire to blend rock music and circus was always his driving force.

So the big bombastic opening number, visually and musically, was very much a nod to Haze's legacy. It was also the perfect curtain raiser for a big, bold, bombastic show.

From there, we were straight into my next 'never seen that before' moment: Lucky Hell swallowing swords while spinning high in the air on a pair of aerial straps (see pic below). The danger in that stunt definitely justifies the word 'extreme' in Circus Extreme. 

In one of her ground-based moves, Lucky swallowed an impressive amount of two very long swords... then, unexpectedly gulped them down another several inches - a moment guaranteed to give any audience a jolt and make them wince.

I last checked in on Circus Extreme in 2022. You can read my review here. There were some returning acts in 2025 including Laura Miller who performs on an aerial hoop while periodically being dunked in a tank of water, then lifted aloft with water falling from her while she twirls. It's a visually impressive and highly original act that is no less entertaining for being seen more than once.

Getting back to my 'never seen before' moments, though, a highlight of Rock It On was Skywalker Marlon's high altitude aerial act. As well as an upside down walk, hanging from his feet as he stepped along a line of looped straps, he also jumped from a swinging trapeze bar to a static trapeze bar, landing upside down to hang from his feet.

It's a feat that Jules Leotard, who invented the flying trapeze in 1859 would have been proud of.

The standout of the show for me were the Catwall Acrobats (below). Their apparatus consisted of a scaffolding-like tower positioned between two trampolines. The four men and one woman then repeatedly threw themselves from the central wall onto the trampolines, bouncing back to the spot where they had been standing.

It sounds simple - and it was - but with all the performers simultaneously in motion, with one falling and another bouncing on either side of the wall, the criss-crossing array of bodies was an amazing, mesmerising thing to watch, and surely one of the most spectacular circus tricks currently being performed anywhere in the world. It would definitely be a good one for Britain's Got Talent.

Elsewhere in the show were rollerskating, juggling, clowning, a double wheel of death, and a dynamic Russian Swing act.

As in 2022, the show ended with a globe of death. As you will see in my report here, 2025 was a bad year for globe riders. Performers were seriously injured in crashes at Zippos, Circus Funtasia, Blackpool Tower Circus and Circus Extreme itself. A rider actually died in a collision in the globe in Italy in November.

As in 2022, however, the highlight was not the four motorcyclists circling inside the globe, but a second troupe of five stunt motorcyclists jumping over it.

With the four parked-up riders in the cage rhythmically revving their engines to stoke the crowd's excitement, the act climaxed with the five Evel Knievels turning somersaults as they flew overhead in the vast dome of Britain's biggest big top.

The bikes followed each other in such close succession that at least two were in the air simultaneously at any moment. If one had landed badly, there would have been a serious pile up.

But that's what puts the 'extreme' in Circus Extreme - possibly the most extreme circus show on Earth.