Circus comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it’s big and brash with a cast of thousands. Sometimes it’s small and mighty. As the name suggests, Circus Piddly falls into the latter camp. The brainchild of two Sams with a dream and a teeny tiny big top, it’s a perfectly formed production that crams everything you could want from a circus into a madcap hour of joy.
The reluctant ringmaster of this (controlled) chaos is Sam Goodburn, a variety performer with an impressive array of circus skills and an inimitable style. We’ve seen Goodburn a couple of times before (most recently in the similarly small Tweedy’s Massive Circus) so were excited to see him at the helm of his own production, and the result was exactly the sort of deliciously daft stuff we were expecting. (Quite literally – there are always a lot of biscuits involved in Sam’s acts!)
It’s a hilarious, high-energy show full of surprises at every turn, all performed with perfect comedy timing and oodles of showmanship. There are some serious circus skills on display here, but everything’s done in such a way that they almost look easier than they are (even when Goodburn is intentionally trying to give the impression that things are going wrong).
While Goodburn is the main act, he’s supported by a range of sidekicks including his delightfully unhinged “stage manager”, Finnish foot juggler Rosa Autio. There are plenty of other personalities involved too, but we don’t want to say too much because part of the fun of this production is watching the madness unfold before your eyes – or around you, if you’re one of the unsuspecting audience members called to the stage to become part of the action. Goodburn is something of an expert in picking participants who will engage willingly, even if not entirely helpfully, adding an extra layer of comedy and danger to the proceedings.
Overall, Circus Piddly is absolutely bonkers in the very best way. Enjoyable for all ages, it’s an hour of spectacularly silly escapism that will leave everyone with a permanent grin pinned to their face.
Circus Piddly plays at Waterloo Millennium Green from 5 to 15 June 2025, as part of a wider UK tour. We received complimentary press tickets to the 11am performance on Sunday 8 June.