CIRCUS IN TOWN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22623, 28 April 1948, Page 6

CIRCUS IN TOWN

ONE WEEK SEASON LAUGHS AND THRILLS An abundance of laughs mingled with thrills in quick-fire entertainment were provided in the saw-dust ring under the "big top” in Lowe street on Monday night, Sole Brothers’ Circus had come to town and opened its season of one week. Although two matinees have been scheduled to cater particularly for the children of the district, the packed “house” on Monday night was strongly represented by members of the younger generation. Performing animals from dogs, ponies and horses trained by Andrew Sole to elephants presented by Johnny Campbell were a source of wonder to the audience. Silver King, the pony, and his see-saw act appealed tremendously and the audience watched with bated breath while one of the two elephants, after a dancing act, stepped with great care over four ring attendants lying together on the saw-dust ring. Back Somersaults on the Wire Clowning was not the sole attribute of troupers billed to take the laughs. Some were adept at tumbling and other acrobatics and one of the Eroni brothers rode a bicycle on the tightrope in the wire act with Joe Eroni, who took his bow after performing a series of back somersaults on the bounding wire. The Ridgeway family kept the crowd in suspense while one of the girls went through a routine on a 30ft. ladder balanced' on the upturned feet of one of her partners. The act was rounded off with a feat of balance on a pole resting on the shoulders of the male Ridgway. Miss Dimpi St. Leon was another star of the performance on the flying trapeze- Whip-cracking by Joe Perry was deserving of more prominence in the programme. The ring attendants who worked with him appeared to have supreme faith in Perry’s performance with his whips. One man had a cigarette flicked from his mouth by the lash of the whip and another took a greater risk by placing a sixpenny piece on his tongue. It was neatly displaced by the whip. The cutting of strips of paper held at arm’s length by the attendants gave the audience a chance to relax a little before the close of his performance. The entertainment value of the show was good, and the team work of the attendants precise when it came to arranging for new acts: Not a moment was lost. The season will continue throughout the week.