This Christmas all-around the country families are being entertained by traditional pantomimes but if you are looking for something different but equally entertaining the Circus 1903 at the Southbank Centre is a real winner. You soon run out of superlatives to describe the line-up of amazing acts weaved into a wonderfully well-presented show. It makes the hard-working circuses you see in your local park each year seem very ordinary as they have assembled some of the most spectacular breath-taking acts from around the world that will astound you with their skill, agility, and bravery.
The whole show is narrated and linked by the comedy magician David Williamson as the Ringmaster Willie. He is a consummate professional, with a bewitching charm and good line in banter. When he introduces Rocky the raccoon for his routine with four young children from the audience, I realised that I had first seen him thirty years ago when he appeared on the Thames TV show (just before it lost its broadcast franchise) The Magic Comedy Strip and I had been selected from the audience to appear in some close-up magic with him. He retains the boyish charm today as he engages with the young assistants from the audience. At a time when the pantomimes have nervously dropped kids on stage for the song sheet, this show carries on involving them with hand sanitiser and masks and it feels refreshingly normal and wonderful to see them on stage. Williamson tells one young boy to “Dare to Dream” and it feels an inspiring moment although I am not sure I’d feel content if my children dreamed of doing some of the daring acts we saw in the show! Each delivered at least one jaw-dropping moment of spectacle.
