Xanadu | Giffords Circus, UK Tour, 2019
A love letter to 1970s flower power and the height of British counterculture, Xanadu transports audiences to midsummer 1973 in London’s Hyde Park, where hippies, rock stars, musicians, and circus performers converge for a celebration of free love, folk music, and the kind of optimistic idealism that defined the era. Giffords Circus’s 2019 touring production combined traditional circus arts with theatrical storytelling, live music, and immersive design under the intimate canvas of their touring big top.
Directed by Cal McCrystal—marking his eighth spectacular production for Giffords—Xanadu embraced the communal spirit of the period through seamless dramaturgy, Kate Smyth’s choreography, and a soundtrack featuring period classics including “White Rabbit,” “A Hazy Shade of Winter,” and “Aquarius.” The show toured the Cotswolds, Oxfordshire, London, Berkshire, and Wiltshire throughout summer 2019, bringing Giffords’ unique blend of contemporary circus and theatrical storytelling to communities across southern England.
Costume Design Vision
takis’ costume design captures the kaleidoscopic explosion of color, pattern, and freedom that defined early 1970s youth culture. From flowing kaftans and embroidered bell-bottoms to psychedelic prints and handmade festival wear, the costumes evoke the era’s rejection of conventional fashion in favor of personal expression, cultural fusion, and anti-establishment aesthetics.
The design challenge involves creating period-specific looks that support the extreme physical demands of circus performance—aerial work, acrobatics, physical comedy—while maintaining the authenticity of 1970s counterculture fashion. Performers in flowing garments must execute trapeze work, tumbling passes, and intricate physical comedy, requiring careful construction and hidden safety considerations that don’t compromise the costumes’ visual impact or period accuracy.
The color palette draws from the earthy browns, oranges, and harvest golds associated with 1970s design, punctuated with bursts of electric blue, vivid pink, and the kind of pattern-on-pattern maximalism that characterized the decade. Floral prints, paisley, tie-dye, fringe, and handcrafted details create a world that feels authentically lived-in while remaining theatrically vibrant.
The overall design creates an immersive environment where audience members feel transported to a Hyde Park gathering, surrounded by the optimistic energy of a generation that believed music, love, and community could change the world.
Creative Team
- Director: Cal McCrystal
- Costume Designer: takis
- Choreographer: Kate Smyth
- Producers: Giffords Circus
Production Context
Giffords Circus was founded in 2000 by Nell Gifford with a mission to create intimate, artistically ambitious circus performance that tours rural communities often underserved by major arts organizations. Operating from a traditional canvas big top, Giffords has become one of Britain’s most celebrated contemporary circus companies, known for productions that combine world-class circus arts with theatrical storytelling, original music, and immersive design.
Since 2012, Cal McCrystal has directed Giffords’ productions, bringing his background in comedy and physical theatre to create shows that feel narratively cohesive rather than collections of circus acts. Xanadu represents this approach—using the 1970s Hyde Park setting as a framework for circus performances that feel integrated into a larger theatrical world.
The production toured throughout summer 2019, opening in Stroud, Gloucestershire before visiting venues across southern England, maintaining Giffords’ commitment to bringing professional circus performance to regional audiences in the intimate, community-focused environment of the traditional big top.