Astounding: Ringmaster Simon Tait
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Refereeing the boxing ring of entertainment, the ringmaster keeps score while clowns, jugglers and death-defying trapeze artists trade gasps, laughs, screams and shouts in heated battle over the greatest show on earth.
The ever-charismatic, cheeky and sometimes boisterous ringmaster is the vocal signature of any show, and Silvers Circus’ Simon Tait is no different.
Rolling into town last month, a Christmas-themed Silvers big top arrived to accommodate another “sophisticated, wholesome and entertaining show”, with Tait again at the forefront of the cavalcade of acrobats, jugglers, illusionists and daredevils.
Our most distinguished and historic travelling show, Silvers, has weathered long winters and survived the fluctuating interests of audiences around the country, according to Tait.
Phoenix Harrison on the Wheel of Steel.
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“To my knowledge I am the longest-serving ringmaster, and there have been times of not much interest and times of great interest … The circus is so traditional that it is hard to compete with modern forms of entertainment,” he says.
Nearly three decades on the road have seen Tait perform with leading international shows the Moscow Circus and the Great European Circus before he decided to settle with his wife and two daughters in Melbourne.
“I joined the circus when I was 21, 29 years ago, when I had just come out of acting college as a clown. I thought it would be a temporary thing.
“I fell in love with the romance and the history of the big top. I had to adapt quickly to the lifestyle and the demands of living on the road.”
All the travelling, the different towns, the lights, the daring acts, the sawdust and children’s faces are daily reminders of why he first joined the circus.
“Since then I have only ever looked back once, about eight years ago, when I decided to leave the show in search of another lifestyle.”
Tait describes that time as “the biggest mistake” he ever made, the feeling being “unnatural and an undeniable addiction”.
Juggler Yibi Gomez
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“I scampered back quick-smart … Once you have the sawdust in your veins and the lights in your eyes, you’re addicted. I can’t see myself ever leaving again.
“Anyone who joins the circus or lives the travelling lifestyle will say the same: ‘It is a way of life’.”
With his perfectly trimmed moustache, freshly pressed red jacket and continual exercising of his vocal chords, Tait admits the pressure can often be overwhelming: “The job of ringmaster is not for every budding circus runaway.
“It takes someone who loves, adores, lives and breathes circus life to be able to front the crowds day in and day out.
“You have got to be good with your words and be able to flesh out the child within every audience member … It can be quite difficult, depending on the audience.”
While many of us forget the joy of the circus with our “big-kid” attitudes, Melburnians still have a special appreciation and nostalgia for Silvers, according to Tait.
Whether you are sitting in traffic or staring out of the train window during your daily commute, Melburnians have come to expect the sight of Silvers as if it were a natural part of the scenery.
“We love it here in Melbourne, and typically Melbourne loves us. As long as I have air in my lungs and good legs holding me up, I will still be performing and entertaining everyone who comes through the tent doors,” Tait says.
» Silvers Circus is at Bata Shoes, Nepean Highway, Mornington, until January 22 then the Burvale Hotel, Nunawading, until February 19.
www.silverscircus.com.au, 0413 880 044
www.ticketmaster.com.au, 136 100