The Chessington Zoo & Circus Archive
  • Home
  • Introduction
  • history
  • R. S. Goddard
  • Burnt Stub Mansion
  • Timeline of events
  • Circus
  • Elephants
  • Zoo Maps
  • Photos
  • Cuttings
  • Videos
  • Posters
  • Postcards
  • Devon Zoo & Circus
  • Present Day
  • Guest book & contact
  • Links
  • Home
  • Introduction
  • history
  • R. S. Goddard
  • Burnt Stub Mansion
  • Timeline of events
  • Circus
  • Elephants
  • Zoo Maps
  • Photos
  • Cuttings
  • Videos
  • Posters
  • Postcards
  • Devon Zoo & Circus
  • Present Day
  • Guest book & contact
  • Links
 

The Circus

​
"Your never to old or young to visit the circus" 

A Circus was a major feature at Chessington Zoo for many decades, with the  first Circus at Chessington believed to have opened in 1933…

For many years the circus was run by Gilberts Circus and contained performers, clowns and animals such as elephants, camels, horses, ponies, dogs and monkeys in dresses and frilly outfits. From the early eighties it changed to an all human circus show after being  persuaded by the Zoo Federation to drop the long standing use of animals in the  circus, the human circus was performed in a big top for the summer seasons billed as Circus Hassani. The shows were a permanent feature from March to November.  Circus Hassani was initially launched in 1979 by Ali and Tamara Hassani and was Britain's first circus without animals. Unfortunately, as much as animal-rights activists praised it, it was a flop with the public until it found a permanent home at the Chessington Zoo in 1982, where it succeeded the old Gilberts Circus and continued to present all-human circus shows.


In 1983 the show’s title at  Chessington was changed to Tamara Coco’s Circus however a few years later  Chessington’s management decided to stage its own modernistic circus  presentations. (Ali and Tamara Hassani/Coco were retained however to supply the  big top, seating and other circus facilities) In 1987 the Circus suffered a setback when the uninsured Big Top was destroyed by a extraordinarily violent storm, quite unusual in England. This didn’t discourage Ali Hassani, who quickly rebuilt his circus at his own expense. 

A Circus remained at Chessington  until 1991 when the area which was then called Circus World was sadly closed and later removed to make way for a new themed land…


Below are some examples of the numerous circus guides, that were produced and a link to some original video footage of the Circus at Chessington Zoo:
Picture
A review of the Circus by Sir Gerrard Tyrwhitt-Drake from The English Circus & Fair Ground Book.
Picture
​Right: A couple of clowns amuse the children at the circus at Chessington Zoo. One of them is Lulu, the only female clown in the world - August 1942 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Above left: Gilbert's Circus ponies at Chessington Zoo. Sadly five of circus ponies died in fire at Chessington on 29th September 1935, a special tomb stone was made for the grave of Victor; Prince; Nancy; Rosie & Squibs the ponies along with Charlie the Zebra who was also killed. The location of this stone and the grave is not recorded and its whereabouts now is sadly unknown.
Picture
Left - A postcard shows Gus Bourget, who was a French clown who performed in the circus at Chessington Zoo

Right - A note from one of the circus programs  proudly stating that Chessington had the best intimate circus in England at that time
Picture
Below -  A cutting from US Entertainment weekly; The Billboard dated February 1947. The article reports the death of European circus men Carl Petoletti and Reginald Goddard...
Picture

Original chessington circus footage

Girl Riders - 1951
Circus Blessing - 1954
 
​Roller Skating - 1954
Circus Blessing - 1955
 
​Circus In Training - 1957
  
  • Home
  • Introduction
  • history
  • R. S. Goddard
  • Burnt Stub Mansion
  • Timeline of events
  • Circus
  • Elephants
  • Zoo Maps
  • Photos
  • Cuttings
  • Videos
  • Posters
  • Postcards
  • Devon Zoo & Circus
  • Present Day
  • Guest book & contact
  • Links