Circus leaves the animals at home

Watching the circus arrive in town with its huge colourful trucks, exotic, free-spirited artistes, even more exotic-looking caged animals and emerging Big Top is a thrilling experience that many of us remember from our childhood.

As the Moscow State Circus has been setting up its Christmas show in Blackrock Park, Booterstown, Co Dublin over the last few weeks, passers-by may have already noted one major difference with this Russian troupe. There are no animals. Yes, no animals. What good is a circus without animals? I hear you cry.

Well, while Chris Barltrop, general manager and ringmaster of the Moscow State Circus, bemoans their absence due to strident animal rights campaigners on earlier tours in Britain, he nonetheless believes the 35 artistes - selected from some of the top circus schools in Moscow, St Petersburg, Riga and Kiev, not only survive without the creatures from the wilds but surpass themselves with their unique and inimitable human skills.

"It has become very difficult for circuses to travel with animals, although I believe there isn't any scientific evidence to prove that animals are unhappy in circuses. We've been forced into this situation," explains Barltrop. "However, this show has been produced for us in Moscow without animals and several people have told me that they didn't miss the animals at all," he adds. So strip yourselves of prejudices and open your minds to the animal-less circus. With everything else from the traditional circus intact, including the legendary flying trapeze, colourful comedy aerobatics, cheeky clowns, exquisite Russian, lifesize rag dolls and much much more, you're guaranteed a fun-filled, spine-tingling show.