THIMBLERIG CIRCUS GREAT ENTERTAINMENT

     They dress funny.  They wear weird mustaches and make a lot of noise.  Curiosity keeps you watching their performance.

     You don't have to travel to Eastern Europe to see the highlights of Moldavian street entertainment, since members of the former Moldavian Thimblerig Circus came to town. 

     Now that they call Atlanta home, the troupe has begun teaching others about their traditions, which include juggling, fire-eating, and putting swords and nails where they shouldn’t go.

     All of this is G-rated entertainment, for the most part, although it helps to have an empty stomach for some of the acts.  

     This troupe actually gets a laugh from teaching kids about Centrifugal Force by swinging fire over their heads.   They travel to schools across the south with a lively cast which includes18th century costumes and a pile of props. 

     This circus consists of two males (Adam Lowe/Jason Munger) and a female (Jenifer Doran) , who assist each other in all kind s of weird turn of the century visual fancies. 

     You remember that trick where the guy balanced on a board, over a moving pipe, while trying to remove himself from a straight jacket?  Then you've seen the Thimblerig Circus!

     What about the one where the guy attempts a magic trick but never seems to quite get it?  And the sword-eaters?   Yep, that's the Thimblerig Circus, too.

      It's all for laughs, and the troupe does get a lot of them.  While one performer is trying to say something serious, one in the background might be contorting himself into a toilet lid. 

     "Thimblerig Circus was a load of fun and laughs," said Liz Thomson Attaway, of Atlanta. 

     If you like juggling, Thumblerig is the troupe that does those multiple-person acts like you've seen on television.  Audience members are often asked to come up on the stage to particpate in the laughs.

     This year the group will be performing at the Georgia Renaissance Festival.  To see them and get scheduling information, head over to their website: Thimblerig Circus.

-----Ray Macon