We were given complimentary tickets to Hippodrome Great Yarmouth as we are Great Yarmouth Ambassadors
After our visit to Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach we headed off to the Hippodrome Great Yarmouth for the 2.30pm showing. I have never been to a circus or to a Hippodrome before so I was super excited to see the show.
Hippodrome Great Yarmouth
The Hippodrome Great Yarmouth was built in 1903 and is britains only surviving total circus building. It has been host to a an array of entertainment including, stage shows, water shows, a cinema and even a military practice shooting range during the war! There is a whole host of history within the building and everything is just incredible.
Peter Jay, who is the current owner, restored the the water feature within the Hippodrome, when he produced his first show in the 80s. The Water Spectacular was literally that, spectacular. We knew there was going to be water featured in the show, however we was not execrating the ring stage to sink and fill with water to become a swimming pool! The Hippodrome Great Yarmouth is only one of three in the world with a circus floor that sinks into a pool.
We arrived about 10 minutes before the show was due to start and the foyer was busy! We didn’t have time to buy any refreshments as we were worried we would miss the start of the show. We needn’t of worried because we were treated like VIP’s, we even had VIP Seating with these cute little seat covers. We were even treated to a drink and a snack, which the boys loved! As they were able to choose slushies and cotton candy, so they were literally living their best life.
The hosts of the show was Jack Jay and Johnny Mac and my gosh what a pair! They had us all laughing so much throughout and really complimented each other. Johnny’s catchphrase “I’m enjoying myself” was really suited to the show, because you really are enjoying yourself being there, within the moment watching everything and you do hear yourself say, “I’m enjoying myself!”
The acts varied from Juggling to the incredible RCC Aruba Troupe, who recently featured on America’s Got Talent, these were incredible! The boys were gasping every time one of the troupe members were flung in the air. Our favourite act though was the Wheel of Death. It was incredible to see what the brothers get up too! Arthur was absolutely amazed and we were all on the edge of our seats.
The show is about 2 hours long however that does include an intermission. As we were being treated as VIPs we had ice cream brought to us so we didn’t need to queue. However the boys did need to use the toilet. We popped upstairs to the loo, and despite a queue they were clean and well stocked.
Peter Jay Backstage Museum
At the end of the show we were invited for a tour of the Backstage Museum, however due to another booking we couldn’t visit. However I wanted to mention it here as you can only visit after seeing a show. It’s only a small additional charge, however a great place to go as it’s filled with historic circus memorabilia. It is a shame we couldn’t go, however it is something else to look forward too when we come back.
The Hippodrome Great Yarmouth is just an incredible place to be, it is definitely a must visit attraction for anyone visiting Great Yarmouth. The Hippodrome host 4 different shows a year and the boys are asking when we can next go.
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