TECHNOLOGY
Holograms offer visual experiences circus-goers of the past would not have been able to see
that it’s now less of a circus and more of a spectacle aligned with theatres, and so it’s been rebranded to Circus-Theater Roncalli. “After the announcement not to use any animals at our shows we received more than 20,000 emails and letters from all over the world, with 95 per cent positive feedback,” says Paul. “The holographic show went viral on social media and received media coverage in 40 countries. In one year, the show had more than 600,000 visitors.”
Animal free Wild animals were only briefly used at Circus Roncalli, although horses and dogs played a large part for 30 years. However, Paul says that the show was always more focused on other acts. In a 2018 visitor survey, horses were bottom of the list of attractions, with only 2.7 per cent saying
“WE STILL HAVE MANY IDEAS. WE WANT TO LEAD THE WAY OUTSIDE OF THE RING. FOR EXAMPLE, BEING THE FIRST CIRCUS TO GO PLASTIC-FREE” that is what they expected from a Roncalli show. Most popular were the clowns, followed by acrobats, poetic acts, nostalgic and historic circus wagons and live music. According to Paul, money had nothing to do with the decision to stop using animals, however, it looks to have been a commercial success as well. After a hefty initial investment, the new technology means the circus is far more mobile and has greater flexibility to go to more locations, meaning it tours more widely. There’s also no longer animal upkeep to consider and the move has been hailed as a PR and social media triumph, which has led to global recognition and a boom in ticket sales. The show will need to keep evolving to keep audiences interested, and the team will be continuing to look for new ways to use holography. Also continuing investment has to be made to make sure the technology is up to scratch with no glitches: “We’re the pioneers and we still have many ideas,” says Paul. “We want to lead the way outside of the ring. For example, being the first circus to go plastic-free.”
Other applications?
The show stars a variety of real-life clowns and artists who incorporate the holographic animals into their performances
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Following this groundbreaking application of hologram technology, it will be interesting to see if the attractions industry will make greater use of the potential it offers. For example, aquariums could use it to recreate the magic of sharks and whales, while museums could use it to bring giant predators or dinosaurs back to life. Martín Zordan, interim CEO of WAZA says that while it’s not the same as AM 3 2019 ©Cybertrek 2019