Giffords Circus, a beloved troupe established 26 years ago by the late Nell Gifford and her husband Toti, is set to captivate audiences with its newest production, “Waterfield.” This groundbreaking performance masterfully intertwines classic circus skills with avant-garde theatrical elements, prominently featuring the heart-stopping “Wheel of Death.”
Toti Gifford proudly highlights the self-sufficient nature of the production, stating, “Everything you see has been built by us.” During a tour of Fennells Farm in Gloucestershire, the circus’s home since 2014, the company was observed deep in preparations for “Waterfield.” The farm, which also operates as a working farm and brewery, presents a vibrant scene with livestock roaming the lush grounds. The company’s hub is housed in a large, repurposed cattle shed, and the property is dotted with handcrafted barns filled with an eclectic array of props, paints, and intriguing circus memorabilia, including a surprisingly preserved human cannonball.
Plans are underway for a new winter venue and a hotel, both slated for completion in the coming years, contingent on planning permission. The area surrounding the iconic, twinkling circus tent has also undergone a significant renovation. Tiring of the muddy terrain during inclement weather, Toti Gifford, who also manages a successful landscaping business, orchestrated the transformation of the field into a neat pebble-covered expanse.
English Translation:
‘My God, it’s a panic attack to watch’: Giffords Circus on its most dangerous show yet
The Gloucestershire-based troupe, created 26 years ago by the late Nell Gifford and her husband Toti, is back with a new performance blending traditional skills with cutting-edge theatrics … and the dreaded Wheel of Death.
“Everything you see has been built by us,” Toti Gifford informs me with a sweep of his arms. I’m being shown around Fennells Farm in Gloucestershire, home to the much-loved Giffords Circus since 2014, with the company deep in rehearsals for its latest production, Waterfield. There’s an awful lot to see. The landscape is green and lush and scattered with livestock, with the site still functioning as a farm and brewery. The company headquarters sits inside a huge repurposed cattle shed and the farm is peppered with makeshift barns, all built by hand and rammed with props, paints and all manner of circus mementoes and mysteries (including, quite brilliantly, a human cannonball).
There’s a new winter venue and a restaurant and hotel under construction, with both scheduled to open over the next few years – the dreaded planning permission pending. The area surrounding the famous circus tent, topped with twinkling lights, has also been spruced up. Sick of wading through mud whenever it rained, Toti Gifford – who also runs a successful landscaping business – decided to dig up the field and replace it entirely with pebbles.