Charlie Witherspoon reported in 1968 for the UTV series “Anything Goes” on the famous Fossett’s Circus. The tradition of circuses has evolved much over time as opinions changed towards the use of animals. However, at this stage, they were an important part of the fabric of life, providing entertainment for generations, before television and other pastimes eroded their importance. This snapshot of circus life in the late 60s gives us an important glimpse of what life on the road was like for the performers who talk to Charlie about their experiences. We also get to go behind the scenes of clowns putting on their make-up and witness the performances themselves inside the big top. Circuses were once famously billed as “the greatest show on Earth” and, whatever we think of them today, this film stands as an important social history study of how we were entertained in the past.

An Ulster Television Production.