For more than a century, Gandey’s World Class Productions has entertained families with circus spectacles.
Generations after generations have attended these shows at some point in their life.
Little do many know, however, that some of its best-known productions, such as Gandeys Circus and Chinese State Circus, were coordinated from the company’s Congleton base.
Read more: Artists bring circus to town with “The Homecoming”
Tour director Binky Beaumont reveals how it all began.
He told our sister site Cheshire Live, “The Gandey family settled in this area after Philip Gandey’s grandfather Bob Gandey broke down with his family on their way home from a recent theater tour.” Century.
“Back then there were no garages and no AA and RAC so he ended up on the A50 outside of Cheshire, stayed with a young family, and stayed for three weeks while the vehicle was being repaired.
Gandey’s Comedy Circus sometime between 1910 and 1920
“He liked the area and ended up renting a house and we’ve been based here ever since.
“The Gandey family has obviously expanded. Philip Gandey became the youngest ringmaster at the age of 17 after his father, Joe, Bob’s son, died in 1973 and took over the family business.”
The 1980s was an important decade for Gandey’s Circus as it grew into the powerhouse it is today.
The company began producing television productions, theater shows, ice shows, and product launches.
Binky added, “When the late 1980s came, the direction of the circus changed.
“Carol and Philip Gandey had already looked at other options and we secured and created the now famous brand name, the Chinese State Circus. So we own the worldwide rights to it and it was created here and it was all over the world for the last 30 years.
“We’ve also diversified into television and theater touring and various other forms of entertainment, but we’ve stayed here in Congleton, where we employ around 50 people at Dane Mill to make up our office team.
A leaflet advertising Gandey’s Comedy Circus in the 1920s
“Around the turn of the millennium we toured with various productions and worked worldwide in collaboration with the (then) Department of International Trade (DIT) with productions in the Middle East and Asia and acted as the flagship for British entertainment and theater productions that came our way to become only the second largest production company in the world after Cirque du Soleil. “
Binky paid tribute to Newcastle-born Philip Astley who started the modern circus 250 years ago. And he stressed the importance of developing circuses and productions that no longer use animals in performances.
“Animals didn’t really get popular until 60 to 70 years later. Before that, circus was all human feats and curiosities and things like that,” he said.
“The circus is always evolving and needs to keep evolving to become the powerhouse it is now. There are more circuses touring the UK now than ever before and they are out of animals.
“We made the decision many years ago not to use animals. About 30 years ago we decided not to use animals. We have evolved into more theatrical productions with the latest sounds, lights, lasers and large numbers of dancers.
“Now everything revolves around the performance and creativity of the artists. The times when there was a drafty old tent with sawdust on the ring and animals are long gone. It is a very, very past time.”
Today the company employs more than 400 people in several productions around the world in the high season.
Gandey’s Thrill Circus at a show
About what makes Gandeys so unique, Binky said: “Gandeys is one of the biggest touring shows in Europe.
“But every year we changed the productions. We are new every year. We mix theater choreography and large costume productions to turn it into a large theater show.
“We are the only touring show in Europe that has the seating that we have, namely stairless seating. So we have the option of 160 wheelchair users to sit in the middle of the seats in each performance, not having made this decision at the front.
“We have a recycling and environmental policy, so we’ve adopted a lot of things that people are now adopting. We’ve been appealing to them for years, things like trying to make sure we get cash in every place we play. We raise over £ 50,000 a year and give away 15,000 tickets to local charities every year. “
Gandeys played a huge role in reopening a number of industries after the various locks.
Binky said, “We were the first shows to open last year. We ran the pilots for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) that helped open every event imaginable, including your leisure centers , Your “football clubs, theaters and your cinemas.
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On the subject of matching items
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On the subject of matching items
“We were involved in the pilots during the productions at the Butlins resorts that we run each year, and we were one of the first shows to open in a new way in the three Butlins.
“We have put this new social distancing in place with a new capacity. We can remove seats. Although our capacity has been reduced from 1,000 to under 400, we can easily fit disposable systems into a tent-like structure as we are not limited.” at the boundaries of a building We can open additional doors and walkways Our toilet blocks are already outside.
“So we were in a very fortunate position and we were the first production facility in the UK to open in June last year.
“When the second and third lockdowns came back up, we were the first show to open at the end of the third lockdown, and ITV actually anchored the news on March 17th.
“So we were the first show to be shown live on TV in the UK, which paved the way for other events and activities. We were very proud of the work we did for the DCMS and the support we received with the work. “