Hetty Feather & The Victorian Circus

After the postponement of Hetty Feather in Summer 2019, we are delighted to announce it will open our 2020 Autumn Season. We reprint, with additions, last summer’s feature on the project. At Playbox Theatre we are fortunate in having a complex able to house and develop circus arts alongside the full range of performance skills. All the skills of our superb young people will be on display in a fascinating and captivating play. Based on Jacqueline Wilson’s popular books, Hetty Feather tells the story of a girl abandoned as a baby in London living with foundling children in a big house until the circus comes to town and Hetty is overwhelmed and moves into a world of sawdust, spangles and wonder. The Victorian circus! With Hetty we go right into the atmosphere and greasepaint world under the big top. Hetty comes face to face with the travelling shows, the artistes and the ‘splendid and novel pavilion’ under which these strange, compelling entertainments took place. The circus arrived in town in a blaze of colour, larger shows had a parade and the circus grand parade became a huge event in many villages, towns and later cities. Throughout Victorian England the circus emerged from being a sideshow novelty to a well-managed and highly professional travelling entertainment with its riding, high-wire walking, clowning and illusions. Children would help the circus build up in each town, receiving free tickets as their reward or, if not, they may return and sneak under the canvas to see the show. Many famous artists have fallen under the spell of the circus, not least, the painter Degas whose eyes brought a classical perspective on modern entertainment. The visual capture of Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando is thought one of Degas’ ‘most surprising canvases’ and its influence is not lost on the creative approach to the new Hetty production. So popular was the circus that many 19th century theatres presented circus acts and jugglers, aerialists and clowns under the canvas. Imagine a time when the circus came to even the smallest towns in the country. This kaleidoscope of colourful entertainment right on your doorstep. The whole town or village would turn out and for one day there would be wonder in the air.

Whilst Hetty Feather brings the circus to mind there are other shows this year that reflect the essence of Victorian circus – the obvious first choice is Gifford’s Circus – touring the Cotswolds each summer with its colourful and memorable show designed to reflect the essence of the early touring circus to town and village in the summer. All the transport and equipment has that nostalgic look, as does the big top, especially leaving at night seeing it festooned with tiny light bulbs. So join Hetty and her Playbox Theatre company this summer as we go under the canvas for Jacqueline Wilson’s Victorian adventure. Creating Hetty Feather for Playbox Theatre takes us right into this world enabling our actors, circus performers and movement skilled young people to make a fantastic show for all ages. Hetty believes that the circus may hold the key to discovering her real mother coming across some wonderfully drawn characters, Matron Stinking Bottomly (can you believe it!) being one and a sense of thrilling adventure in Victorian England. This really sounds like Playbox material and should be a fabulous event for the autumn. Hetty Feather opens 24th September. Gifford’s Circus on tour with The Hooley this summer - www.giffordscircus.com.

Playbox Theatre’s circus production Wonderia