THE CIRCUS OF HORRORS

Final Night of the "Carn-evil"

Closing out the festival on their dedicated stage at the Palace of Wonders, the freaks and geeks, blockheads and aerialists of the Circus of Horrors filled an explosive (literally) 30 minutes with a cornucopia of “Carn-Evil” shocks, horrifying human feats of daring, grotesquerie and awe.

Looking like the bastard children of The Rocky Horror Show and a Victorian-era flophouse, the Circus’ brief sets saw lumps of wood suspended on chains from septums; needles through cheeks, and a quite impressive party trick of opening a beer bottle with an eye-socket. The prerequisite circus blockhead stuck a spinning power drill up his nose and the gyrating feats performed by the circus’ hooper pulled “oohs” and “ahhs” from the audience.

But it was the finale with the Hairculian Diva that crowned the set, the aerialist suspended by her mane of hair and spun around the stage, finally setting off sparklers from her hips as she whipped round like a human Catherine Wheel to amazed applause.