Put out by their previous reception at Oxpens, Katherine MacAlister finds Moscow legends keen to perform indoors

It’s a circus – but not as you know it. Gone are the animals, ringmaster and even the big top. Yes, the Moscow State Circus is back in town after a seven year hiatus with a new format, line-up and venue. But instead of staging it in a wet windy Oxpens, the New Theatre is the new venue in a bid to attract more punters.

“It is a bit of an experiment,” Peter Norris of the Moscow State Circus admits. “But we haven’t been back to Oxford for six to seven years because we haven’t been well supported.

So what was the problem?

“The Oxpens area was really run down so we’ve looked at other locations and in the winter housing the circus in a big theatre seems like the perfect option. Because while people do like a big top, at this time of year the weather puts people off.

“We do so well in other university cities such as Cambridge that we assume it’s always been the location. But now we have this great opportunity to bring the Moscow State Circus to Oxford and we are really looking forward to it. We just hope people come and support us.”

The circus is bringing its new show 7 Zhelanly, or the flower with seven colours by Valentin Petrovich Katayev, based on a traditional Russian folk story, where each of the petals represent a wish, each being played out by a circus act. And there is a moral to the story – thinking about other people.

“It combines the best traditions of Russian story-telling with the best circus acts on offer,” Peter says, “so there is something for everyone, a real family show.”

So how hard has it been for the Moscow State Circus to keep up to date? “We are a very modern circus and always look ahead and are always changing the format because people always like to see something different. We never bring the same show back and our artists are at the top of their game. So in many ways updating circuses has been a good thing. But it’s also important to continue with the age of tradition,” says Peter.

So what can we expect?

“Magnificent feats of human achievement throughout this tantalising tale, the beautiful Kushka Veslovskiy who plays Zhenya, surrounded by a multitude of flying, back flipping, juggling, wire walking and roller-skating performers,” Peter promises.

And, if it’s a success, will the Moscow State Circus come back? “If Oxford proves it has an audience who want to come out and support the circus then, of course, because the great thing about circuses is that they aren’t elitist and appeal to people of all ages. So we are looking forward to it.”

SEE IT
The Moscow State Circus comes to Oxford’s New Theatre with 7 Zhelanly on February 1-2. 
0844 871 3020 or log on to www.atgtickets.com/oxford