STEPHEN PULLINGER With four days to go to the opening, Portuguese juggler Goncalves finally arrived in Yarmouth to complete the line-up for this summer's Hippodrome circus.

STEPHEN PULLINGER

With four days to go to the opening, Portuguese juggler Goncalves finally arrived in Yarmouth to complete the line-up for this summer's Hippodrome circus.

A relieved Christine Jay, who runs the show with her husband Peter, said organising the annual spectacular was a juggling act in itself.

In the weeks leading to tomorrow's first performance, she has been anxiously monitoring the whereabouts of acts recruited from as far afield as Mongolia and Mexico.

"On Sunday we had a run-through to allow people to get used to the building, and now we will be doing two rehearsals a day right up to our opening show for schools," she said.

Seemingly by magic, as soon as the lights and smiles came on for yesterday's first run-through, it was unerring business as usual.

Fredi Chy literally made a blazing return to the 102-year auditorium after an absence of 28 years - by diving through a flaming hoop.

His Kung Fu Masters act is being billed as a highlight of the show that Mr Jay described as an "incredible worldwide mix".

Father and son comedy duo Clive Webb and Danny Adams are returning to the Hippodrome with a totally fresh act, and Mexican flying trapeze artists the Flying Rodogels will also be making a welcome reappearance.

Mr Jay said: "For the first time they will be performing in ultra-violet light. It looks amazing as it appears they just come out of the dark, and they will be doing their triple somersault."

Other performers include Batjargal Uyanga, a contortion artist from Mongolia, and an acrobatic troupe called the Kenya Boys.

Zoe Fausto, a local favourite and the first graduate of the Hippodrome's circus school, is performing her aerial act.

The eight Estelle Clifton dancers become the Jan Baines show swimmers for second-half water routines in the Hippodrome's swimming pool - one of only three surviving circus water features.

The circus runs until September 10. Call the box office on 01493 844172.