Acrobatics, clowns, freestyle motorbikes, and the flying trapeze are just a few of the acts that locals will have the chance to see at The Great Moscow Circus, which arrived in Richmond last week.
The show, which is currently on an 11-month tour of New Zealand, has been all over the world, with recent tours in South Africa and South Korea.
While life on the road may seem gruelling to some, for a lot of the performers it’s the only way of life they’ve known.
Kiarnna Webber, who performs in aerial acts in the Great Moscow Circus, has been a performer all her life.
For her, circus is in her blood.
“I’m a seventh-generation circus performer. I grew up travelling around Australia with my family in the circus.
“When you’re growing up in circus, you just want to do it. Kids want to copy their parents.”
It’s a busy life for performers though, usually spending between 2-3 weeks in a city before moving on.
“It’s hard work, but we were born into it. It’s what we do.”
While life on the road can be gruelling, being able to entertain people all around the globe is worth it.
“People walk away with a buzz,” clown Ozzy Brophy says. “Our aim is really to get people off their phones for a few hours, and just entertain them. When people are enjoying it, that makes it for us.
“We want people to leave their problems at the door and just have a good time.”
The Great Moscow Circus is currently showing at the Richmond Showgrounds on Lower Queen Street, until March 22.
