STEPHEN PULLINGER Hippodrome Circus, Yarmouth

STEPHEN PULLINGER

> Hippodrome Circus, Yarmouth

Ear-splitting cheers and applause summed up the audience's reaction to Peter Jay's latest exotic blend of entertainment.

This is circus re-invented: combining the best of the big top with the spirit of an old-fashioned seaside variety show.

And no one knows more about that than the Jays, the family having brought all the big names in showbusiness to Yarmouth during its heyday.

Father and son comedy duo Clive Webb and Danny Adams pop up regularly and expertly link the acts for the two-and-a-half hour spectacle.

Danny's irrepressible, cheeky character and sharp wit made him an instant favourite.

The Flying Rodogels from Mexico give a breathtaking display on the trapeze, the drama heightened as they perform in ultra-violet light, which gives the 102-year-old arena a special aura.

Other highlights include a hypnotic display by Mongolian contortionist Batjargal Uyanga and an aerial straps routine by Bulgarian Nikolay Nikolov.

The Jays, in their 26th year at the Hippodrome, wanted something new this summer and Fredi Chy's Kung Fu masters certainly add the wow factor.

Local girl Zoe Fausto gives a graceful aerial display.

The Hippodrome's perennial dance troupe, the Estelle Clifton Dancers, take to the water as the Jan Baines show swimmers during the second half, when the ring turns into a pool.

All in all, it is a treat not to be missed this summer.