A NEW WIRTH’S

Grey River Argus, 17 December 1937, Page 10

A NEW WIRTH’S

And a Real Show, Too SUCCESSFUL OPENING NIGHT The celebrated Wirth’s Circus in its first evening’s presentation at Victoria Park last night, showed that it was a totally new show, and that in its aggration of acts, it is bigger, brighter and better than ever. The glamour of the sawdust ring under the big canvas top proved a magnet of attraction for young and old alike and there was a splendid attendance despite the adverse weather. Wirth Bros, whose name is synonymous with the best circus entertainment in the world, have moved with the times and imported new acts for the biennial tour. The famous family entrepreneurs, under the direction of Mr Philip Wirth, last evening, was a totally new show, with a galaxy of sensational breath-taking acts topping off all those time-honoured feats of skill in annual training, and the incessant frivolity of the troupe nf bizarre painted and costumed clowns. There were free expressions of opinion by all and sundry that Wirth’s presentations had never before reached such a high peak in spectacular and daring displays, enacted by a galaxy of talent from all four corners of the globe. It is a quarter of a century since Wirth’s entered the New Zealand field, but it is generally conceded that their new thrills and novel humour during the past year or so are improving at a geometrical rate of progress. The animals are sleeker and more proficient,' the clowns more laughable, the acrobats hurl themselves about with an almost unconceivable aban don, and the trapeze and balancing artists challenge the fates with greater intrepidity, but this is not all. The circus itself has a newness of staging that suggests prosperity. Every bit of paraphernalia, every costume and all the trappings are smartly fresh and colourful, emphasising the piquancy of the whole show. Wirth’s is now at a high-water mark in its long and honourable career, and there cannot be any falling away of its prestige and popularity when so much care and expense are devoted to the assembly and presentation of its entertainment. Miss Doris Wirth and her sisters and brothers are to be congratulated on their upholding of the family traditions .and fully deserved last night s bumper house and the success they are experiencing in all their presentations Almost three hours of swift-mov-ing turns —in which high-pressure work of the tent hands in manipulating the maze of guys, ropes and apparatus is something at which to marvel—is climaxed by a sensationally daring motor-cycle act of the Four Onotos. High above the sawdust a racing motor-cycle on a narrow circular track swept at dazzling speed round a cantilever structure on which three trapeze artists were suspended. It ended up in the motor-cyclist somersaulting in a series of swift circles. No act like it has been-presented here before, and that could be safely said about most of the other novelties, all challenging the Onotos for headline

ranking on the bill. The four Kobes presented something exceptional and uncanny in foot-juggling, hand-bal-ancing and tumbling, capped by the father (as manipulative with his feet as with liis hand) walking up a rope stretched taut from the tent-top at an angle of 45 degrees and glissading down in reverse gear in the “Slide of Death,” with the grace of a champion skier. The balancing was superlative, and the audience ■ caught its breath when a ladder, balanced on the father’s head, came adrift and the lad smilingly unconcerned, maintained his precarious perch. The Ziganies, ten in number, gave ah electrifying exhibition' of aerial tumbling, flashing through space like meteors for several minutes. The climax was a triple somersault by a lad into a basket chair held on the shoulders of one of his elders, and another whirlwind spasm ended with a man and a boy somersaulting from a see-saw into the chair. Great leaping feats were accomplished by Markoni, who bounced elastically from a moving platform to somersault clean over nine men, then over five horses, and finally over a large motor-car and two rows of three attendants. Markoni is a novelty in Springheel Jacks. Space and height held no terror either for the Nelson Troupe, in which the strength of the two men on platforms was paralleled by the agility and smoothness of the acrobats. The Three Houstons, two men and. a lady defied the laws of gravitation with their balancing work on the top of a long steel tube. Thrill succeeded thrill, and come'dy was added when Fresco and Camello dived over chairs I into barrels and out on to the saw-1 dust with effortless abandon. The! work of the contortionist in her double-jointed efforts; the two girls.in( their ladder exercises; Pluto and Plento; the Crowns Royal in their humourous flips and turns on the revolving ladder; Quicksome and Comico in their balancing and humorous act: the comedy and the basketball act featuring Misses Wirth, in which Reefton were defeated by Greymouth in a basketball match on bicycles. were not the least popular items on the swiftly and well-enacted items on the human side.

The animal side of Wirth’s has never been stronger. Philip Wirth scored a great hit with his four Shetland ponies in their many delightful little acts, climaxed with a thrilling race round the ring several times over hurdles, ridden by amusing little monkeys. The contest created great excitement. None the less entertaining were the monkeys in their antics in mounting and remounting the ponies, after they had passed underneath a raised table at the side of the ring. The regal Bengal tigers of Captain Eric Flyger had a wonderful sleekness of coat, a most fearsome snarl and flashing paws as they moved under superb command in the iron cage, the act being concluded with jumps through a blazing hoop. The majestic elephants presented their now famous military act with unfailing precision and M. Henri Martel’s trained dogs quickly captivated the interest of all. After the toy varieties they did their clever canine tricks of walking on one set of legs or the other, and waltzing. Greyhounds gaye a magnificent display of leaping over ten 10-feet high

hurdles for a tremendous length into the safe arms of an attendant. One of the finest horses seen in a circus ring, the golden horse “Duke,” with Miss Gladys Wirth in the saddle, fully justified the programme claim for his “exquisite waltzing and skipping.” The horse was almost, human and took his bow like any actor. Alec Christie put his team of Australian brumbies through a maze of dainty evolutions. In all the animal acts the commands were quiet, and it was apparent that great kindness played a big part in their training. Another neat animal trick was that of Prince Limerick, a pony which did his bagful of tricks, while being carted round the ring on a lorry. Two pigmy elephants under the direction of Miss Wirth were also splendid entertainers, with their many tricks and balancing acts. They also showed their ability at skittles—at least one of them did, while the other did the clowning. A circus would not be' a circus without its clowns, and led by the old favourite, “Danny”, Wirth’s have a strong company of buffoons, who particularly appealed to the youngsters, with their antics and repartee. Their “gap-filling” efforts contributed towards a very fine entertainment. The menagerie, too, is worth a visit, being comprehensive, and in keeping with the whole show, exceedingly well kept. Wirth’s latest presentation is a show of unusual merit and is assured of two further bumper houses this afternoon and this evening at Greymouth, and tomorrow night at Hokitika. The house manager is Mr George Wirth, who with his brother Philip, and the sisters, form admirable personalities. The various acts are supported by incidental music, selected numbers being played on the company’s panatrope.