Showcase - Sideshow Illusions
We can present single or multiple sideshows inside or outside here are a few examples of how we have worked with venues and festivals to thrill, excite and entertain their visitors.
Showzam Festival - Olympia, Winter Gardens, Blackpool
Visit Blackpool
Huge indoor venue with a wonderful history of presenting entertainment attractions. We have presented sideshows as part of the ten day Festival in 2009, 2010 and 2011. We work with a great team of fellow artists and companies to transform, in a few days, the Olympia Hall into a Palace of amusement and entertainment. Each year four or five sideshows have been open from 11am to 6pm, with breaks, all running simultaneously. The visitors were free to choose which attractions they visited and in which order.
Dippers and Dunkers Festival - Old Town, Margate
Director: Heather Sawney, Thanet Council
Outdoor site on paved area. The site is split between two squares either side of Margate’s Old Town Hall, just a stones throw from the site of Dreamland Amusement Park where many of our shows were presented in the 1950s and 60s. We worked closely with Heather to provide five sideshows operating all day for two days as part of Dippers and Dunkers in 2009 and 2010. It’s a tight squeeze to fit the sideshows in the two squares and a JCB had to be called in to attempt to remove a flower stand. Overnight security, generator power supply, cast toilet facilities and access to water for our ballast was provided and we used pedestrian barriers, dressed with our banners and bunting to control access. Visitors queued for entrance and were taken on a promenade production style journey through the shows.
Fright Night - pedestrian area side of City Hall, Sheffield
National Fairground Archive/ Yellow Bus events
Outdoor venue on a paved pedestrian area and road. Fright Night in Sheffield is one of the UKs largest Halloween events attracting around 30,000 people between 3pm and 8pm. Generator power and Heras fencing was supplied. The aim of letting as many as possible see the sideshows was achieved with a continuous moving queue that stopped for a shorter that normal presentation of each attraction.
Sheffield Fayre - Norfolk Heritage Park
National Fairground Archive/Sheffield City Council
Outdoor venue on grass. We have presented three sideshows, as well as in 2010 our Flea Circus, at the two day long Sheffield Fayre in 2010 and 2011. Norfolk Heritage Park is a vast parkland area on a hill overlooking Sheffield City. Overnight security personnel are on site. Power was supplied by generator. It’s a windy spot but on grass we are able to stake down the Sideshow booths and show fronts. We provided our own temporary fencing to control access and also brought our fairground Round Stall as an information and Sideshow Souvenir point. The visitors queued for admission and were taken on a promenade production system from show to show. The shows operated continuously, with breaks, from 10.30am to 5pm.
