FIFTH generation circus owner Warren Lennon reckons his band of international performers is a class act, and he’s not wrong.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
His Lennon Brothers Circus is wowing the crowds with deeds of daring and skill at Mackay Park in Batemans Bay until Sunday.
Lion tamer Mohammed Jratlou opens the show with a deft command over his charges in the ring, a role that has come
lately.
Born into a family of second generation Moroccan acrobats, he worked with two of his brothers in a seven-man troupe that was brought to Australia to perform at Jupiter’s Casino in 1992.
He fell in love with the life in this country and when the engagement ended he toured with several circuses before joining Lennon Brothers 16 years ago.
He took up the offer to tame the lions three years ago and said his first time was a “bit scary”.
Now at home in
the lion arena, Mohammed also presides over a very successful canine act – a 16-strong group of poodles and Jack Russells and a kelpie which balances on a tight-rope.
In his acrobatic act, he is joined by his agile nine-year-old daughter Amina for a display of hand-balancing.
Amina loves performing in the big top, and it won’t be long before she is climbing up to the high trapeze platform 10 metres above the ring floor.
Her three-year-old sister Naema is also following the family tradition with “little spots” in the acrobatic routine.
Tight-rope walker Luis Quiroz balances three metres in the air without a net.
A Chilean, from Santiago, he also comes from a family of performers.
His act features a heart-stopping backward somersault on the wire, but he puts such a feat down to good balance and training rather than daring.
Robert Bruce fits the role of ringmaster like a glove.
An Aucklander, his circus career has taken him to the United States and south to the Antipodes.
In the US he worked with Circus Chimera, noted as a theatrical-style circus, and created a solo clown character Archie, a “down and out hobo”.
The big attraction of circus life for him is the sense of community and the family life.
“I absolutely love it,” Robert said.
He really appreciates the fact that his work allows him to be with his wife and son all the time.
“There are about 30 people in this small community and everyone gets on well,” he said.
After the final show in the Bay on Sunday, the big top will come down, a job which takes only a few hours.
The circus will then roll south to Merimbula, and by Wednesday evening Robert will be welcoming wide-eyed kids and their parents to the arena.
As he says, he’s not only found a job, but he’s also landed one that he loves.
