Show 524: Circus, 13th August evening show, Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

An Italian Circus, modern day. Should be pronounced ‘seerkuss’.

A beautiful young circus performer, tired of living under the thumb of her modernising mother, who runs the place with a rod of iron, elopes with her boyfriend the clown. They go to New York to find a new life, but end up doing cheap circus tricks on the street.

The circus owner finally tracks them down but, during their emotional reunion, they find out that the owner’s father has taken the opportunity of his daughter’s absence to recreate a stunt from the old days: walking the highwire, blindfolded, while on fire. With no net. Accompanied by an angry lion.

Will they get back in time to save him?