The Traditional Circus

The traditional circus as we know it today has existed since the late 18th century. In this popular art form, animal and humans perform acts such as acrobatics, stunt acts and juggling in a circular arena surrounded by tiers of seats. In comparison to contemporary circus, where acts are linked together by a story, the acts in traditional circus are performed independently of each other.

The popularity of the circus in England may be traced back to 1768, when Philip Astley held performances in London. One of Astley's major contributions to the circus was bringing trick horse riding into a ring, which he referred to as the Circle. However, Astley never called his performances a 'circus'; that title was introduced by his rival John Hughes, who set up his Royal Circus a short distance from Astley's 'Amphitheatre of Equestrian Arts' in Lambeth, London.

Traditional circuses were often held in purpose built buildings in large cities, such as the London Hippodrome, which was built as a combination of the circus, the variety theatre and the menagerie, where wild animals such as elephants and lions appeared in the ring from time to time, and where acts of nature such as floods, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes were produced with an extraordinary wealth of realistic display.