WIRTH’S CIRCUS AND MENAGERIE

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XV, Issue 886, 28 February 1907, Page 17

WIRTH’S CIRCUS AND MENAGERIE

Wirth’s Circus and Menagerie deservedly takes high rank amongst travelling shows as affording an almost inexhaustible fund of amusement. There is always something to interest and hold the attention of visitors from the merry patter and doings of the clowns, whose really clever burlesque feats are always good fun, to the feats of horsemanship of the skilled riders, the daring exploits of the wire and rope walkers and dancers, and trapeze performances of the acrobatic troupe, whose daring flights through the air thrill and entrance the crowd. Apart from these things there is the menagerie, or wild beast show, always specially interesting in a country devoid of such animals as comprise the collection, and particularly so in New Zealand where we are without anything approaching the character of a zoological garden or gardens. The mere announcement, therefore, of “Wirth’s” advent is sufficient to draw crowds from every direction to view the elephants, the tigers, the camels, the water buffaloes, the zebra, the Japanese Polar and Himalayan bears, the boxing kangaroo, Indian leopard, the jackal, the quanaco, the baboon, ape and monkeys, rhe jaguars, the Royal Bengal tigers, the lions, the wildebeeste, the boars, the goats, and the zebrule, to say nothing of the “freaks” and performing dogs.. The great tent erected by the Wirth Bros.’ at Freeman’s Bay, 1 forming such a capital amphitheatre, and capable of seating in comfort 1200 people, was well filled on Tuesday evening, when the circus opened for a short season in’-Auck-land, and for fully three hours, with only a ten-minute interval, the large, audience was kept in a simmer of excitement as i em after item was unfolded from the unique programme provided. What was termed “A Grand Oriental Parade, ” introducing the whole of the company in procession around the hippodrome track was followed by a toreador dance, in which the equestrians and equestriennes of the company took part, the horsemanship displayed being excellent. Miss Phillipina’s hurricane hurdle and somersault acts, and her daring horsemanship - aroused great ' enthusiasm. Miss Marziles Wirth was no less well received in her serpentine dance on bare horseback, and a little girl, May Martin, did some really good trick riding, .while Master) <Edie rode and drove six ponies with-a skill far beyond his years, and was-deservedly—ap-plauded. Miss Cook on the dancing horse “Major,” gave another capital exposition of feats of horsemanship, which are usually regarded as bordering upon the impossible, and added greatly to the interest of the evening’s performances. . M. SampeT Osado, “the Japanest Wonder,” is rightly described. He gave some remarkable exhibitions of balancing powers, doubling' himself up in the most extraordinary fashion on a table and stand, which left him barely room for his foot to stand upon. Hugh Pa' rick Lloyd again, danced, turned somersaults, played the violin and tambourine, jumped through a hoop and over articles held in both hands, all on a tightened rope—the “corde elastique, ” as it was termed—just as easily as if he were on solid ground, giving a really astonishing performance. The “Flying Herberts,” or “Human Skyrockets,” as they are termed on the playbills, gave a very daring and thrilling entertainment, flying from trapeze to trapeze in extraordinary fashion, turning somersaults in mid-air, one moment joining hands with the man suspended from his heels in the centre of the tent, and the next flyng back to the swinging trapeze from which they had started. The performances of the animals were

hardly less interesting, trained elephants, camels, tigers and lions performing feats which . simply astonished and delighted the audience, one of the most clever of the tricks being the mouth organ performance of Toby ,the big elephant. Herr Lindo evidently has his savage troupe well in hand and must be congratulated upon the astonishing results secured. The most thrilling moment of the evening was, perhaps, that in which he placed his head in the lion’s jaws, while the fascinated crowd held its breath and wondered what would happen next. Altogether the show was a great success.