By David Cain
On August 19th, 2026, Scott Cain, Rick Robinson, and I attended a showing of Alice, one of the two touring productions of the Venardos Circus. Alice is an Alice in Wonderland-themed, world class one ring circus production.
The pre-show started 45 minutes before the official start of the circus and was done exclusively by a name familiar to many in the juggling community – Patrick McGuire. Patrick entered on a penny farthing tricycle and entertained the almost full tent with various juggling and musical numbers. He played the accordion, performed with a chiming devil stick and did an assortment of hat tricks. Patrick also did an assortment of balancing and combination tricks with various items around the stage, including bottles, an umbrella, a table, a large ball, his hat, a suitcase, and a cane. All of his work was done incredibly well and with the posh and charisma that he is known for.
Patrick then performed his ball juggling act that included in the air work with three balls, followed by ball bouncing with three, five, and seven balls. This was also top-notch juggling.
So, before the actual circus begins, the audience is treated to an entire world-class juggling show. At this point, Patrick changes roles from pre-show juggler to the Mad Hatter, who serves as the ringmaster for the circus. The cast of the circus is small, featuring eight performers, two dancers, and two stagehands / spotters, who are dressed as Tweedledum and Tweedledee. The show opens with a dance number by the cast where we are introduced to Alice, the Queen of Hearts, the White Queen, the White Rabbit, the Jabberwock, and other characters from Alice in Wonderland.
Following the opening number is a wonderful old-school rolling globe act that featured some ring juggling, hula hooping, and ramp work.
Next comes a solo trapeze act by Alice.
Next is a first of two clown acts performed by the White Rabbit. It involved carrot horns and audience participation. He was very funny.
This was followed by a duo pole act, which was quite good.
Next came a very well-received hand balancing act that had the audience on the edge of their seats.
This was followed up by a trapeze act that was somewhat limited by the small size of the tent, but the performers made up for it with some creativity based on those limitations.
The White Rabbit returned with another clown act that featured some skillful trumpet playing, some hula hoops, and a volunteer bit that the audience loved.
The final act before the closing was an aerial chains act by the Jabberwock.
One last dance number closed out the show. Following the show, the audience was invited on stage to get photos with the cast.
If you enjoy circus, you will certainly enjoy the top-notch show that Venardos Circus is presenting in their Alice production. The fact that a well-known juggler (Patrick McGuire) is featured so prominently before and during the show is an added bonus to jugglers. I highly recommend seeing the show if it comes to your area. You can learn more about the Venardos Circus by clicking here.
David Cain
David Cain is a professional juggler, juggling historian, and the owner of the world's only juggling museum, the Museum of Juggling History. He is a Guinness world record holder and 16 time IJA gold medalist. In addition to his juggling pursuits, David is a successful composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and singer as well as the author of twenty-six books. He and his children live in Middletown, OH (USA).