The ringmaster of Britain’s last remaining ‘total’ circus building has revealed what it’s like to entertain crowds at the same seaside spot his family has owned for almost five decades.
Jack Jay is the fifth-generation ringmaster at Hippodrome Circus in Great Yarmouth.
‘The building was built in 1903 and is still being used for exactly what it was built for: amazing circus shows,’ he said.
When his family bought the Hippodrome in 1978 over fears it would be turned into a bingo hall, it hadn’t been used as a circus for many years.
Despite having never produced circus shows before, they decided to bring the building back to its former use.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Jack said: ‘My dad, who was a rock and roll performer and had a band in the 60s, decided to give it a go and put his own twist on it.
‘He started to produce shows, which became iconic. His style of production involved adding rock music, mixing live, gig feels with the circus.
Before Jack’s family bought the circus, the Hippodrome presented Billy Russell’s Circus Spectacular between the 1950s and 1960s, which included three televised circus shows in 1962.
The Hippodrome in Great Yarmouth is Britain’s only surviving, purpose-built circus building, first opened in 1903
The main attraction at the 800-seat circus building is the sinking circus floor, which drops more than 40 feet into a swimming pool
Jack Jay (left) is the fifth-generation ringmaster at Hippodrome Circus in Great Yarmouth. He is pictured with comedian Ben Langley
More than a century ago, Austrian circus performer Tilly Bébé performed as the world’s only female lion tamer with her 12 big cats.
But the days of performing exotic animals are now in the past, and modern-day shows at the Hippodrome combine elements of theatre and pantomime.
The main attraction at the 800-seat circus building is the sinking circus floor, which drops more than 40 feet into a swimming pool.
In bygone days, horses swam through the water. There were even crocodiles and the audience dived for sixpences.
This mechanism was built into the original building and was restored by Jack’s family when they bought the circus.
Since their first show in 1979, water has become a major part of the show with synchronised swimmers and aerial artists.
‘What people see now is the same techniques that were being used more than 120 years ago,’ he said.
‘Of its type as a stand-alone circus building, it is completely unique. Certainly, with the amount of shows we do, there’s nothing quite like it.
Pictured: A postcard of the Art Nouveau Hippodrome, Great Yarmouth, circa 1908
The performers, who include motorbike globe riders, aerial artists and acrobats, come from all over the world, with many also performing in Vegas, Cirque du Soleil and Dubai
‘It really is something that has to be seen to be believed.
‘Outside of a couple of the water shows in Las Vegas, it is the only place that you can experience something to this scale and production value on this side of the Atlantic.’
The performers, who include motorbike globe riders, aerial artists and acrobats, come from all over the world, with many also performing in Vegas, Cirque du Soleil and Dubai.
‘A lot of these places have hundreds of millions of dollars and brand new places, but we see ourselves as the grandfather that came up with a lot of the ideas that then get taken to these huge places, ’ he said.
The circus prides itself on offering something for the whole family, from children to the elderly.
And speaking of family, Jack’s father, who is turning 82, is still very much involved in the circus and keeps a close eye on the shows.
Jack’s brother runs the lighting and is the general production manager, while his mother is responsible for sorting travel and visas for the world-renowned performers.
‘It can be slightly chaotic, but I think that’s quite fitting for a circus,’ he said.
Looking to the future, Jack hopes the circus can gain recognition as the number one circus space in the country.
The circus prides itself on offering something for the whole family, from children to the elderly
Looking to the future, Jack hopes the circus can gain recognition as the number one circus space in the country
‘The fact that we’re out on the coast makes that very challenging,’ he admitted.
‘We’re realistic on the challenges we face on a year-to-year basis, but are always super ambitious.
‘As a family, we are operating, maintaining and conserving a 120-year-old historic building, so that comes with a lot of challenges and financial pressures.
‘Unlike places like the Royal Opera House, which get huge amounts of government subsidy, we are completely independent and rely solely on ticket sales.’
It comes as in September, Great Yarmouth was named one of the best resorts in the UK.
Its tourism industry is worth more than half a billion pounds each year, and it has benefited from £300million of investment since 2019.
The building stands as a testament to how, despite foreign travel becoming more accessible, there is nothing like a trip to the circus.
#circus #worlds #transforming #stage #Las #Vegas #meet #ringmaster #magic
