Circus In Denmark

From Denmark

and other Scandinavian countries

A weekly updated internet magazine

Last updated : 19. October 2024

Next update 2 November 2024

17 October 2024

Circus Dystopia, Marselisborghallen in Aarhus with entrance from the street or from Tivoli Friheden. Jørgen Lorenzen visited Cirkus Dystopia 13 October and writes (my translation):

The sports hall Marselisborghallen was as if transformed to something different. The visitors moved about in the twilight. A stage was set up in the middle. Or was it a scaffold? There were scary sounds, shouts and screams. There was scary nightmare music. And there were creatures roaming around – ghosts, apparitions and madmen. Suddenly they were close to you - with prayers, begging, enticing calls or just plain crazy talk, sometimes followed up by physical touches.

All photos are taken by Anny Skjøth Schaldemose

You could visit two labyrinths, which were populated by creepy and supernatural beings, each of which had to illusion a character. There were crippled, tormented, demented madmen - and there were nightmarish creatures from another planet and from the underworld. Or was it a torture chamber?

There was flickering lights, creepy masks, eyes where contact lenses sat with creepy pupils. And there was deranged talk, as if you were staying in a medieval madhouse or a workhouse in Denmark many years ago. Creepy, and perhaps even creepier, that you occasionally made fun of the poor creatures. But OK! You knew it was theatre.

The actors were well masked and imaginatively costumed - lively and at times true to life in their abnormality and madness. There was free rein for the imagination. The actors came from Dystopia Entertainment in Vejle. The many actors clearly got an outlet for their inner madness and wildness. And enjoyed it!

Once an hour there was a performance on the stage in the middle of the hall. It began with a sketch in which the lovable Pierrot was transformed. His blood-red mouth took on a literal meaning, and his pure, white face was covered in blood, and black threads hung from his mouth. He wanted to prevent Harlequin and Columbine from getting together, and while Harlequin slumped down on the stage, Pierrot dragged Columbine off.

Murder in the circus - Pierrot has killed Harlequin

And then there were artists engaged by Dark Thrill Entertainment. There was Bozo the Crazy Juggler. Behind the creepy, diabolical masking, one could recognise David Sosman. There was an excellent whip and lasso number – very suitable for the whole set-up. It was presented by Duo Laner, who later came back in with a nice knife-throwing act. There were blindfolded dagger throws against a rotating disc/partner. What was new was that the two actors simultaneously threw knives at each other - or of course: past each other, before the knives reached their target on the disc.

Click here to see a 15 sec. video clip from Duo Laner's act

But the very best - or very creepiest - was Denis the Illusionist. It has been many years since we in Denmark have seen a real fakir. Now he was here! And the surroundings were absolutely perfect for a fakir. He stuck needles through the skin on the arms, and needles from the mouth out through the cheek. And he went very close to the audience, who were allowed to pull out the needles. And the final trick: with a drill, he turned a screw up the nose, where it disappeared somewhere, before pulling it out again. A strong number. Horror and horror at the same time.

It seems that Halloween has overtaken the carnival and Mardi Gras traditions in popularity. Why has this happened? Halloween has something dark about it. Death, doom and extremes, which you try to live through or illustrate in the context of Halloween. Why is it popular right now? Mardi Gras and carnival are light and cheerful – role-playing games where you can dream up another role. As in the festival plays in the Middle Ages, where the servant was allowed to be the master for a day and the landowner swapped places with his peasants. But Halloween revolves around death and destruction, the dark and sad side of life. Why is it popular right now? A whole feature article could probably be written about that.

***

Dystopia Entertainment is based in Vejle and consists of a group of horror enthusiasts and creative souls who love to create experiences for others. Their motto is TO HORRIFY AND ASTONISH. You can read more at www.dystopia.dk

11 October 2024

New exhibition at the Circus Museum in Hvidovre, Copenhagen. In addition to the permanent exhibitions, the museum has special exhibitions. Their newest special exhibition is about the Thierry family's small Jutland Circus Krone, which started as a circus with short performances at fairs, but later became a "real" circus.

The exhibition opened on 11 October. The exhibition can be seen until the summer of 2025. Below, a few photos from the new exhibition and from the exhibition opening.

Circus Krone was established by Regner Thierry, but it was his daughter Irene Thierry who turned it into a traditional circus. And by the way, for a number of years it also functioned as a form of artist school for young talents. For a period in the 1990s, Circus Krone also ran a artist school during the winter period in their winter quarters in Haarup old school.

Today, Cirkus Krone is run by the 3rd generation: Irene's eldest son Frank Thierry.

Irene Thierry looks at the exhibition. She has used the blue dress herself in her entrée with pigeons. Hat, poster and magic props have been used by Irene's mother Ebba Thierry

The front dress was sewn by Irene Thierry herself as a 7-year-old for a trapeze number. She used the dress behind in the finale of a Krone performance. Behind a suit jacket used by Regner Thierry. Back costume for a Don Cossack. Regner Thierry's Don Cossacks were however Danes!

Irene's grandchildren had come along to see the exhibition about the family's circus

In the spring 2025 there will be a biography published of Irene Thierry, here seen together with the author Joan Dansberg

Museum curator director Mikkel Knudsen welcomes

In addition to the new exhibition, the museum's playroom has been given a facelift

8 October 2024

At the performances in Weihnactscircus Düsseldorf from 11 December to 5 January, you can see the Garcia family's space rocket. But with new crew, as the brothers Antonio and Conor Garcia have replaced their parents Pablo and Vickki Garcia. The Danish audience saw the rocket with Pablo and Vickki in Circus Arena in 2024. Antonio and Conor were also at Arena with a handstand number that brought them the year's talent prize from the Danish Circus Award. Among the other performers in the German Christmas circus is Kaya Janecek, who received the Danish talent prize in 2023. Before the job in Düsseldorf, Kaya will participate in the prestigious Youth Circus Festival in Wiesbaden. It takes place from 30 October to 2 November.

4 October 2024

CIRCUS DYSTOPIA (horror circus)

From 12 - 20 October, you can see international circus performers from Dark Thrills Entertainment in the ring in Circus Dystopia at Tivoli Friheden in Aarhus. There is a show every hour from 13.30 to 20.30. They write that they present fantastic and nerve-wracking shows that have never been seen before in Denmark. Among other things, you can look forward to hair-raising knife throwing and the mysterious 'Freak', who drills screws in his nose and pulls needles through his cheeks!

They describe the performances as follows (my translation)

This year Cirkus Dystopia takes you on a nerve-wracking journey into a twisted mind where the borders lines between love and madness are blurred. In the center stands Pierrot, as you have never seen him before. He was once a funny fool, but an unattainable love has driven him mad. Pierrot is in love with Columbine, but her heart belongs to Harlequin. This burning jealousy has driven Pierrot to extreme actions, and in his insane rage he has tortured Harlequin turning him into a pitiful doll that is now part of Pierrot's sick amusement. Pierrot's heart is now home to a sick obsession that has turned him into a dangerous shadow of his former self.

In this nightmarish universe, Pierrot rules, whose distorted love has created small, creepy clown children who, with their grim smiles, spread chaos and death. This is his perfect nightmare - an endless cycle of horror and desperation, where love has turned to evil and chaos has become his home. This is how it can go…

3 October 2024

Circus of Torment back in Denmark in the spring 2025.

CIRCUS OF TORMENT presented horror circus performances in Vejle and Aalborg in February 2023. In autumn 2023, they were back with performances in Esbjerg, Aarhus and Odense.

Circus of Torment is a live horror show filled with nerve-wracking performances, comedy and immersive theatrical elements throughout the show.

The juggler on the Circus of Torment flyer is David Sosman, son of Isabella Enoch Sosman and the late Eddy Sosman

About the performance in Aalborg 2023, the digital media migogaalborg wrote "Perfect combination of horror, laughter, horror and screams" and gave the performance 5 stars.

On this page, Jørgen Lorenzen wrote, among other things: "There was so much that at the end you wanted to see it all again. And as in a good theater performance, the performance posed questions to the audience: what was it that we saw here? How should we interpret it? There was not just, as in a good circus performance, a bombardment of the senses, a joyful demonstration of the many facets of circus art and its beauty".

In the spring of 2025, CIRCUS OF TORMENT will return to Denmark with performances in Copenhagen, Odense, Vejle and Aarhus. They write (my translation):

Venture into the ominous fog where a troupe of doomed circus performers await. Be a part of the story – laugh, tremble and scream as ghosts and demons are brought to life from their dark past. Experience their amazing and breathtaking circus acts in this nerve-wracking and thrilling live horror show!

Prepare to travel back to a dark time of mysterious fortune tellers, terrifying freak shows, psychopathic performers and murderous clowns. This show is not for the faint of heart and is a guaranteed hair-raising experience! Take your place around a specially designed stage that provides a unique 360 degree view of the terrifying stunts. Feel the horror brought to life around you as the creatures of this cursed world enter the stage.

Be part of the show and witness international artists from all over Europe perform incredible and dangerous circus acts in this impressive horror show. Witness the pain and experience the agony!

Circus of Torment invites you in for a show you will never forget…

There are performances at Trianglen in Copenhagen from 14 to 23 March, in Ansgar park in Odense from 28 March to 6 April, in Vejle from 11 to 20 April and at Harbour Square in Aarhus from 25 April to 4 May.

You can read more at https://www.circusoftorment.com/

In Circus of Torment's 2-pole tent, there is a small circular stage surrounded by 2 rows of chairs and a grandstand with 6 rows of benches. Photo from Odense 31 October 2023

2 October 2024

Circus Arena in Greenland. Cirkus Arena is currently on tour in Greenland, where they visit 6 cities. In Greenland, it is their 40th anniversary tour. Apart from the corona years, Benny Berdino and his team have for many years visited Greenland every autumn with performances in indoor arenas. Due to the expensive freight, they bring only the most necessary equipment, and normally no animals are included in the performances. The artists are not quite the same as during Arena's Danish tour. In Greenland, it is a big event when the circus comes to town. Just as it was in the old days, when a circus came to the cities in Jutland and on Funen and Zealand, and the spectators' seats in the Greenlandic arenas are well filled.

Cirkus Arena writes about this year's show (my translation):

Circus Arena celebrates 40 years with a magnificent anniversary tour in Greenland, where the audience can look forward to a magical experience for the whole family. It will be a special celebration, presented by the two popular hosts Bubber and Julie Berthelsen, who will guide the audience through a show full of spectacular acts and fantastic artists.

The tour offers a string of world-famous artists that will fascinate both children and adults. Experience the enchanting and seductive Skating New Vision with their breakneck roller-skating act that defy gravity. The talented Jessica Jester brings humour and elegance to the air with her aerial acrobatics, while Kelly Folco seduces the audience with impressive juggling. Michael the clown is a hit for young and old.

In addition to the established stars, the tour will also present the young and talented artist couple Julia and Joachim. Their fresh and modern acts show that circus art is alive and well, and they will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on the audience.

Bubber, who is known from Danish TV, and the singer Julie Berthelsen lead the audience through the performance in both Greenlandic and Danish.

Circus Arena visits:

Ilulissat 30 September at 18.30

Aasiaat 1 October at 18.30

Sisimiut 2 October at 18.30

Maniitsoq 3 October at 18.30

Nuuk 6 October at 14 & 17

Julia and Joachim Myllykangas are children of the clown Lasse "Bonbon" Nørager and Mrs. Tiina. By the way, Bonbon is also part of the performances in Greenland.