Roll up, roll up! A death-defying circus has come to town.
The big top of Zippo’s Circus has arrived at Hove Lawns for a brand new, adrenalin-pumping show that runs until September 3.
Dubbed “Britain’s favourite circus”, Zippo returns to the city this year with a brand new show and production called Carnival.
Hosted by legendary ringmaster Norman Barrett, the fast-paced thriller features equestrian stunts, funny clowns Duo Delbosq, the Havana Troupe of flying Cuban acrobats and the Ukranian strong-man Hercules, who shows his impressive strength when a car drives over him.
The show also features the Globe of Death, a small steel globe packed with roaring motorcycles that zoom around the globe simultaneously while trying to avoid each other.
Ben goes global
To find out just how frightening the stunt is, Argus reporter Ben Leo revved up the courage to stand
in the centre of the cage during practice for the death-defying attraction.
Curious to know what exactly the Globe of Death was, I searched for a video of the impressive circus
act on YouTube before my visit to the Zippo Circus big top last week.
I probably shouldn’t have.
The journey from The Argus offices in Hollingbury to the big top on Hove Lawns was one of anxiety and
fear of serious injury.
Was I really about to step inside a confined steel globe while motorcycles zoomed over and around my head at stupidly fast speeds?
Determined not to bottle it, I squeezed inside the globe and waited while two motorcycles followed me in to take their positions.
“I hope you’ve practised this a few times,” I said to one of the Portuguese riders.
He smiled and kick-started his bike ready for the stunt. Within seconds the two bikes were whizzing and zooming around the cage around me.
When the adrenalin kicked in, all fear was replaced with complete amazement at their skill and coordination.
Thirty seconds later, the stunt was finished and I was still alive.
It’s probably one of the best circus stunts I’ve ever seen.
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