WIRTH'S CIRCUS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20427, 23 December 1931, Page 7

WIRTH'S CIRCUS.

BIG VARIED SHOW. THE OPENING NIGHT. An acre of canvas, the roars of animals, and the glitter of bright lights attracted many people to Moorhouse avenue tyst evening, where, opposite the Railway Station, Wirth's Circus opened its Christchurch season. Tucked away .somewhere in the inner consciousness of every man and woman is the memory of the first circus attended, and once the recollections are aroused the event comes back vividly. Those who attended last nights—and there were many more adults than children—enjoyed the show thoroughly. They marvelled at the grace of the acrobats as contrasted with the lumbering but clever movements of the elephants, and were thrilled as beautiful girls performed dazzling manoeuvres in the top of the big tent. As with humans, animals are taught by patience, persistency, and still more patience, and the circus ia one of the show places where these qualities sire most strikingly typified. There was only one fault (o find, and it was more of a regret than a fault —there was no ciretis band, complete with conductor in gaudy array, to herald the grand parade. A gramophone and loud-speaker served instead! However, the show was well up to Wirth's high standard. Following on tlie. grand parade, polar bears, presented by Captain Flyger, pushed each other round the ring in suii-ably-foristructed perambulators, climbed up a high ladder, and shot down a slide as if they enjoyed it. They did other equally interesting things. A contortionist of remarkable ability was Miss Yvonne, who would, were the vaudeville stage flourishing, receive much more attention and applause. Wirth's lions, growling fearsomely, and snapping viciously at their trainer, Captain Flyger, posed ponderously on stools, stood on each other 's backs, and jumped' through flaming hoops. Billed as the Santey Duo, two acrobats presented the "human propellor"—a contrivance something like the real thing but with a hoop on each end, on which the artists went through a number of remarkable evolutions, culminating in a rapid whirl, extending rroiri the sawdust to the top of the big tent. Mr Phillip Wirth, jun., in a jockey act, made his first appearance with a handsome pony, who did not seem to care in the least whether the artist sprang to his back in full gallop or performed acrobatic feats while walking or trotting. High-class juvenile acrobats, the Four Sylvesters, showed that the oldtimers had not learned all there is to know about the art of balancing. Wrist and arm work and the maintaining of equilibrium in almost impossible positions were carried out with ease and grace. Miss Gladys Wirth induced a handsome black stallion to waltz, skip, and dance, and received an ovation when mount, as well as artist, bowed. Mpre balancing stunts, displaying unusual ability and strength, were presented by Christo and Herman, and they added hoop-juggling to already sufficiently difficult poses. The elephants—the hardest worked members of the show —added a clever piece to their duties of haulers of caravans, etc. They concluded a battlefield act by carrying their "wounded" trainer out of the ring on their trunka. "Danny/' the clown, fooled extremely Welt, with his dog—a young animal trained to obey every command implicitly, and the "Jingling Jumpers" mingled comedy with some expert horsemanship. Formation galloping at high speed with six Australian horses who knew their evolutions without question was controlled by Miss Gladys Wirth. Kazberg's troupe of Eussian Cossacks did many conventional things on horseback, but at a speed that has not been attempted in the ring in Christchurch before. Then one of their number, at full gallop, swung himself completely round his horse's neck and under the belly, and the act concluded with a tall pyramid of horsemen while rushing round the ring. Following on some clever nonsense by D'Alma, while on stilts, the Four Uessems did some balancing that, as the programme inferi-ed, almost defied gravitation. Particulayy clever was a turn in which the smallest member balanced himself, head downwards, on a long pole, while his colleague stood the pole on his head in turn snd then climbed to the top of two unsupported ladders, unaided! It was the best act of its kind in the show. Swung high up on a glittering frame the four Misses Wirth, after disposing of shawls, frocks, and shoes, spun round dizzily in an act styled "Les Quartres Hirondelles." In the big top they used filmy draperies with startling effect. With her golden horse, "Queenie," Miss Doris Wirth gave an unsurpassed act of human statuary, both horse and artist maintaining artistic and graphic poses for some minutes. The reward of the faithful was seen when the horse, equipped with golden wiftgs, essayed to enter the animal heaven. They received much applause. Mr Phillip .Wirth's six black ponies showed striking sagacity in rapid evolutions round the ring, forming twos and threes, and coming out of a dazzling* maze in perfect order. The clowns busied themselves at frequent intervals with boisterous humour, and delighted the juvenilis members of the audience with absurd antics and talk. To-day there will be a matinee at 2.30 atid another performance at night. From 4 p.m. to 5 p.ni. daily the feeding of the animals is to be seen.