Les Enfants du Paradis | Giffords Circus, UK Tour, 2023
Giffords Circus’s most lavish production to date transported audiences to 1820s Romantic Paris, taking inspiration from French Romanticism and the iconic 1945 film of the same name. Directed by Cal McCrystal with designs by takis, choreography by Kate Smyth, and lighting by Ian Scott, the 2023 production toured 13 village greens, commons, and stately homes from April 6 to October 1, including an extended run at Chiswick House and Gardens in London.
While sharing its title with Marcel Carné’s celebrated 1945 film about boulevard theater life, this circus production created its own theatrical world inspired by the Romantic era’s spirit of artistic freedom, passionate emotions, and the celebration of circus and popular entertainment as legitimate art forms. The show featured gravity-defying acrobatics, romantic imagery, and the kind of theatrical poetry that defined French Romantic culture.
The production marked Giffords’ biggest-ever touring season, demonstrating the company’s continued growth and ambition while maintaining the intimate, community-focused approach that distinguishes their work from larger commercial circus operations.
Costume Design Vision
takis’ costume design evokes early 19th-century Romantic Paris, a period when circus was emerging as a distinct art form and Romantic artists celebrated popular entertainment alongside high culture. The design captures the era’s distinctive aesthetic: high-waisted Empire silhouettes giving way to fuller Romantic-era skirts, men’s tailcoats and top hats, the elaborate costumes of early circus performers who blended acrobatic practicality with theatrical spectacle.
The Romantic period’s visual vocabulary emphasized flowing fabrics, rich colors, dramatic contrasts, and the kind of emotional expressiveness that distinguished Romanticism from earlier neoclassical restraint. The costume design references both historical authenticity and theatrical imagination, creating a world that feels period-grounded while supporting contemporary circus performance demands.
Circus performers’ costumes blend historical silhouettes with the functional requirements of aerial work, acrobatics, and physical comedy. The design must allow extreme physical movement while maintaining the flowing, romantic lines that define the era’s aesthetic. Fabrics, construction techniques, and hidden safety features ensure performers can execute demanding work while the costumes read as authentically Romantic-era theatrical dress.
The overall visual approach creates a world where circus arts are celebrated as Romantic expression—where acrobats become poetic figures, where physical feats achieve emotional resonance, and where the big top becomes a space for artistic transcendence. The design honors both the historical period’s visual character and the eternal romance of circus performance itself.
Creative Team
- Director: Cal McCrystal
- Costume Designer: takis
- Choreographer: Kate Smyth
- Lighting Designer: Ian Scott
- Producers: Giffords Circus
Production Context
Les Enfants du Paradis (Children of Paradise/Children of the Gods) takes its title from Marcel Carné’s 1945 film, widely considered one of cinema’s greatest achievements. The film portrayed 1820s-1840s Parisian boulevard theater life, celebrating popular entertainment and the artists who dedicated themselves to it. While Giffords’ circus production doesn’t directly adapt the film’s plot, it shares its reverence for popular performance and its conviction that entertainment arts deserve serious artistic treatment.
The choice of this title and period reflects Giffords’ ongoing mission to elevate circus as an art form worthy of cultural respect. Just as the Romantic movement championed emotional expression and popular forms, Giffords presents circus not as mere entertainment but as theatrical art capable of beauty, emotion, and cultural significance.
The 2023 production represented the culmination of takis and Cal McCrystal’s creative partnership with Giffords, building on previous collaborations to create what McCrystal called their “most lavish show yet.” The extended London run at Chiswick House and Gardens—a prestigious historic venue—demonstrated Giffords’ ability to attract metropolitan audiences while maintaining their commitment to touring rural communities.
Critical response celebrated the production as “lavish, riotous and risqué,” praising how it combined spectacular circus arts with theatrical sophistication and period atmosphere. The show demonstrated how contemporary British circus has evolved beyond variety entertainment to create fully realized theatrical experiences where circus arts serve dramatic and poetic purposes.
Les Enfants du Paradis affirms circus as an art form with deep cultural roots, connecting contemporary British circus to the Romantic-era celebration of popular performance that the original film immortalized, while creating experiences that honor both circus tradition and theatrical innovation.