Christmas Spectacular

Great Yarmouth Hippodrome

The packed seats either side of Great Yarmouth's Hippodrome Circus say it all - this is a show which is now firmly part of Christmas in Norfolk.

In a show packed with wonder and delight, there are some truly breathtaking acts in this year's Christmas Spectacular drawn from every corner of the globe.

Curated by Peter and Christine Jay, directed, produced and hosted by son Jack (and with lighting from older son Ben for good measure) this is a family production for families and it's a festive treat.

Opening with Scotland's Donald Grant, who swapped caber tossing for the Diablo, and then graceful and magical clown Hugo Miro, from Spain, we were then treated to trapeze skills from Ada Posberg to The Greatest Showman's A Million Dreams.

Duo Lookart, Lukasz Grzybowski and Artur Dykiel, present a stunning balancing act which is beautiful to watch while the energy of the Cardenas Brothers (Rigo and Cristofer) on the Wheel of Death is infectious, although nerve-jangling as you watch the brothers' fearless exploits. I aged about 10 years.

There was also the first British performance for The Arctic Ensemble from Finland with the Korean Cradle, a gymnastic routine which involved two of the team flying between catchers and making it look simple when it must be anything but.

We had Estelle Clifton's dancers and her students, aerial artist Victor Volante and Belgian basketball brilliance from Paly Odimboleko, a man who takes ball skills to a whole new level.

Unusually for us, we had a first-time visitor sitting with our party and it was a treat to watch his face as the water spectacle began and the show swimmers took to the pool - I will never, ever get bored of seeing it.

Fabulously festive family fun expertly led by Jack who is the heart of this wonderful show - it wouldn't be Christmas without our trip to the Hippodrome (can I apply for a job as GY Hippodrome Ambassador, please?).

* The Christmas Spectacular runs until January 6. Contact the Box Office on 01493 844172 or visit www.hippodromecircus.co.uk

Stacia Briggs