Waterfield: Giffords Circus in its 25th year
Giffords Circus was founded in 2000 by Nell and Toti Gifford on their Cotswolds farm. Nell Gifford — who died in 2019 — described the circus as a childhood dream made physical: ponies, a dressing-up box, and a tent. What it became was something considerably more elaborate: a touring production with a creative team of international calibre, a devoted following, and a reputation for being unlike anything else in British entertainment.
The 2026 show, Waterfield, marks the company's 25th year on the road. Its name was chosen by Red and Cecil — children of founders Nell and Toti — and the show is, in every sense, a family project. Directed by Cal McCrystal, whose previous credits include One Man, Two Guvnors and Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity, Waterfield is inspired by the rivers, hedgerows, and wildlife of rural England. It unfolds as a living storybook along a magical riverbank, with characters drawn from the tradition of British children's literature and brought to life through circus performance, comedy, and movement.
The cast is international and formidable. Nine Ethiopian acrobats from the Addis Ababa Troupe perform a double pole display; the Valencia Flyers — a third-generation Colombian circus troupe — take on the Wheel of Death; Italian knife-throwing and crossbow duo Elena and Giacomo Jasters deliver precision acts alongside their daughter and her partner; and the Cienna Sisters perform aerial work above the ring. Costumes are designed by Olivier Award nominee Takis, making his ninth appearance with Giffords. Sets are painted by hand in the barns at Fennells Farm in Stroud. Every element of the production is made, in Giffords' phrase, by hand.
The Guardian's Michael Billington once described Giffords performers as 'no woozy hippies but formidable athletes.' That assessment has not dated.
