WIRTH’S CIRCUS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 56, Issue 4016, 23 February 1938, Page 12

WIRTH’S CIRCUS

PACKED HOUSE THRILLED. SOME AMAZING TURNS. Wirth’s Circus has lost none of its glamour and attraction, judging by the very large attendance last evening, for it is estimated that the “house” represented between £5OO and £6OO in door receipts. For many years now this great, aggregation has visited Te Awamutu —in fact our files of 25 years ago record that Wirth’s Circus attracted the largest assemblage of local and district residents to date at any entertainment. But last night the attendance was larger even than on that occasion. For nearly three hours there was not one dull moment, turn succeeding turn with a rapidity and smoothness that spoke of perfect organisation. There were numerous daringly sensational turns, performed with that apparently nonchalant ease born of expert training that held the audience almost spellbound from the time that Captain Eric Flyger opened the performance in the tiger’s cage until the “Dare Devil Onotos” concluded it with their motor cycle speed thrills and death-defying acrobatic turns up near the top of the tent. Then there was the clever somersaulting over the heads of men and the backs of horses by Markoni, the feats of balancing by the three Houstons at the summit of their poles, the whirlwind display of aerial acrobatics by the Ten Ziganies, the juggling, balancing and tumbling by the “Four Kobes,” including a slide from the top of the tent to the arena. The Nelson troupe gave a dazzling display of acrobatics and Mdle. Marlene’s contortion act amazed, and the basket ball game by the Misses Wirth on cycles was spectacular and clever.

The animal acts were a popular feature, the elephants, both large and pigmy, horses, monkeys and dogs playing an important part in the pro gramme and appearing to enjoy it as much as did the audience. They, too, provided some of the lighter side or the evening, notably in the pony race, in which with monkeys as jockeys a very thrilling finish was staged. The humorous side was in the hands of a strong company of clowns, whose antics had the crowd in roars of laughter, serving too as a splendid cover under which some marvellously clever feats were produced.