Soaring costs could bring curtain down on circus

FOSSETT’S Circus has said it may close after 115 years in business because of the rising cost of keeping the show on the road.

Members of the circus told an Oireachtas committee yesterday that soaring insurance premiums and lack of State funds means it may have to close for good next November. It has also accused the Arts Council of taking a patronising approach towards them and failing to provide any grant aid for its activities. Insurance, ground rents, all the costs are escalating,” said marketing manager Charles O’Brien.

The bleak outlook for the circus comes just as it has been officially recognised as an art-form by the Government, which means performers can benefit from tax-free incomes.

This follows a remarkable 30-year campaign for State funding, which was originally started in 1973 by the legendary Teddy Fossett, who died five years ago.

As a result of its designation as an art form, the circus is the oldest performing arts institution in the country, 30 years' older than the Abbey Theatre.