¡Carpa! | Giffords Circus, UK Tour, 2022
A vibrant celebration of Mexican circus tradition and Latin American culture, Giffords Circus’s 2022 production toured the UK from spring through autumn, marking the company’s return after pandemic disruptions. Directed by Cal McCrystal (in his eleventh year with Giffords), with musical direction by James Keay and designs by takis, ¡Carpa! took its title from the Spanish word for tent—referring to the traveling canvas-roofed structures used for itinerant theatre across Latin America, much like the big top itself.
The production embraced Mexican and Latin American circus aesthetics, music, and performance traditions, creating a theatrical celebration of cultures where circus arts have deep popular roots. The show featured Giffords’ signature blend of world-class acrobatics, physical comedy, live music, and theatrical storytelling, all filtered through the vibrant colors, rhythms, and spirit of Latin American performance culture.
Touring to village greens, commons, and stately homes across southern England, ¡Carpa! represented Giffords’ biggest tour to date, bringing international circus traditions to British regional communities in the intimate environment of the traditional big top.
Costume Design Vision
takis’ costume design for ¡Carpa! draws from the rich visual traditions of Mexican and Latin American culture: the bold colors and intricate patterns of traditional textiles, the elaborate embroidery and metallic details of folkloric costumes, the theatrical exuberance of lucha libre wrestling masks, and the festive aesthetic of carnival and street celebration.
The design captures how Latin American circus tradition differs from European circus conventions, embracing warmer color palettes, more elaborate surface decoration, and costume elements that reference both indigenous traditions and colonial-era Spanish influence. The costumes must support extreme physical demands—aerial work, acrobatics, dance-heavy choreography—while maintaining cultural authenticity and theatrical impact.
The overall visual approach creates a world that feels simultaneously exotic and welcoming, celebrating Latin American culture while remaining accessible to British audiences unfamiliar with Mexican circus traditions. The design honors the carpa tradition—traveling shows that brought entertainment to working-class communities across Latin America—while incorporating Giffords’ distinctively British approach to contemporary circus storytelling.
Colors drawn from Latin American festivals and folk art—brilliant magentas, electric blues, sunset oranges, lush greens—create visual vibrancy that reflects the production’s celebratory spirit. Costume details like fringe, sequins, embroidered motifs, and layered textiles add movement and texture that enhance the performers’ physical work.
Creative Team
- Director and Writer: Cal McCrystal
- Costume Designer: takis
- Musical Director: James Keay
- Choreographer: Kate Smyth
- Lighting Designer: Ian Scott
- Producers: Giffords Circus
Production Context
¡Carpa! marks Giffords Circus’s exploration of international circus traditions beyond their previous European-focused productions. The carpa tradition—traveling tent shows that combined circus acts, music, comedy, and theatrical sketches—has deep roots in Mexican and Latin American popular culture, serving working-class communities similarly to how Giffords serves rural British audiences.
The 2022 production represented the company’s triumphant return to full touring after COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, with their biggest-ever UK tour demonstrating sustained audience appetite for Giffords’ distinctive brand of intimate, artistically ambitious circus. The production’s success reaffirmed Giffords’ position as one of Britain’s leading contemporary circus companies.
Cal McCrystal’s long collaboration with Giffords (beginning in 2012) has shaped how British audiences experience circus, creating narrative frameworks and theatrical coherence that distinguish Giffords from larger commercial circus productions. His direction brings his background in comedy and physical theatre to circus arts, creating shows where acts feel integrated into larger theatrical experiences.
takis’ ongoing design partnership with Giffords—spanning productions including Any Port in a Storm, My Beautiful Circus, Xanadu, The Hooley, ¡Carpa!, Les Enfants du Paradis, and Avalon—has established a distinctive visual signature for the company, creating immersive worlds that transport audiences while supporting the physical demands of circus performance.
¡Carpa! demonstrates how circus can serve as cultural ambassador, introducing British regional audiences to international performance traditions while maintaining the intimate, community-focused approach that defines Giffords’ mission.