Simon Tait – Ringmaster at Silvers Circus
Subscribe
X

Subscribe to Forte Magazine

Simon Tait – Ringmaster at Silvers Circus

Hemmingway said it best: “The circus is for me the only spectacular, the reality, a really wonderful dream vision” – and one man who couldn’t agree more is Silvers Circus’ own Ringmaster and Illusionist, Simon Tait.
With over thirty years in the ring, Simon is the authority on all things big top. “I’ve been around for a while – I ran away to the circus when I was twenty-one, fresh out of university.”
A natural-born performer, Simon studied acting but was always drawn to the lighter side of life. “One day I saw an American clown performing mime. I’d studied mime as part of my acting course and I thought ‘what an interesting way to see the world and get experience on stage’. Once I joined the circus that was it!”
As the Master of Ceremonies Simon has travelled all over, performing with some of the world’s leading circuses, so he truly knows what makes Silvers Circus ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’.
“Silvers is always striving for improvement; keeping up to date, ahead of the trend,” Simon said proudly. “That’s what makes us a cut above. I’m also pleased to say we have many new, exciting acts. The show is jam-packed at the moment and we’ve got people from all over the world.”
Suddenly I found myself swept up in the excitement, as Simon began to describe the world-class attractions Silvers has on offer. “We’ve got a new highwire artist who we brought out from Switzerland. He always makes me nervous as he steps out onto the little silver wire, out of the darkness. It’s absolutely terrifying to watch and once he’s out there he does some ridiculous things!” Simon chuckled. “He walks the wire on stilts and puts a chair on the wire and stands on the chair. The highwire is nine metres in the air and there’s no safety device to save him if he falls. It’s a very thrilling act, and that’s only the beginning.
“We also have the football-playing boxer dogs. Any dog lover knows boxers are the natural clowns of the canine world, but apart from that, their athletic ability is amazing. Watching them play AFL is action-packed – a laugh a minute. We divide the audience into opposing teams and everyone gets into it when they score goals – we have a lot of fun.”
One act that never fails to impress is the incredible display of skill and balance by their hula-hoop queen, Argentinian-born Gypsy Gomez. “Balancing on a giant mirror ball, she spins anywhere between eighty and a hundred hoops at a time. I’m flat out spinning one around my waist!” Simon joked.
“She’s got abs of steel. It’s a tremendous feat and at the end she collapses in a heap with all the hoops around her. The audience goes through the roof – it’s a very exciting, powerful act.”
Simon is no slouch either. His talent for sleight-of-hand has earned him the title of Master Illusionist. However, it’s his warmth, humour and spirit that hold the show together. But don’t be fooled by his composed exterior. “I hold my breath watching the show every night, but that’s what the circus is all about – anything could happen, and it does!”
When & Where: Ballarat Showgrounds – March 26 through March 30
Written by Natalie Rogers

Recommended