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Douglas McPherson

Douglas McPherson

Biography

Douglas McPherson is the author of Circus Mania, a guide to the history and culture of the circus

Recent Articles

Silent treatment: staging Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin’s teenage fallout

Silent treatment: staging Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin’s teenage fallout

More than 100 years on, new show Laurel and Chaplin: The Feud explores the relationship between Britain’s biggest comedy stars and why they lost touch as they rose to fame. The producer Jon Conway talks to Douglas McPherson
Circus Funtasia at 10: ‘It’s getting hard to find Brits who want to travel with a circus’

Circus Funtasia at 10: ‘It’s getting hard to find Brits who want to travel with a circus’

As Circus Funtasia celebrates 10 years on the road, director Tracy Jones tells us about how it all began, surviving tough times and what lies ahead
Producing company Entertainers: ‘Tribute acts are seen as not ‘worthy’, but there’s a cultural need for them’

Producing company Entertainers: ‘Tribute acts are seen as not ‘worthy’, but there’s a cultural need for them’

Father and son duo Michael and James Taylor tell Douglas McPherson about their producing company Entertainers, which has 30 productions running in more than 26 countries
Arise Sir Zippo! The circus needs more dames, knights and recognition

Arise Sir Zippo! The circus needs more dames, knights and recognition

Circus performers and creatives are often forgotten in the King’s honours, says Douglas McPherson
Thursford Christmas Spectacular at 45: the £4.5m festival that conquered the festive season

Thursford Christmas Spectacular at 45: the £4.5m festival that conquered the festive season

As the Thursford Christmas Spectacular – a three-hour, multimillion-pound festive marathon – celebrates its 45th anniversary, we meet two generations of the family that built the country’s biggest Christmas show in a village in Norfolk
High flyers: how circus training has taken hold in the UK

High flyers: how circus training has taken hold in the UK

Circus was once an art form without any formal entry routes, but in recent years circus training has flourished in the UK. We explore its contribution to the circus landscape in the UK and internationally
Whodunnit? The century-old circus murder mystery being reinvestigated

Whodunnit? The century-old circus murder mystery being reinvestigated

In 1911, the Victorian showman Lord George Sanger was brutally murdered by a disgruntled employee. Or was he? A new book is reopening the 100-year-old case
Balancing act: how the circus sector is coping with cost-of-living squeeze

Balancing act: how the circus sector is coping with cost-of-living squeeze

Observing the age-old adage that the show must go on and focusing on affordability for audiences, the directors of Britain’s biggest circuses discuss how they have adapted to keep ticket prices low and big tops full this year, despite rising costs
The Lady Boys of Bangkok: ‘We were inclusive before the word was used to describe a show’

The Lady Boys of Bangkok: ‘We were inclusive before the word was used to describe a show’

For almost a quarter of a century, the Lady Boys of Bangkok have been dazzling audiences all over the UK. Creator Phillip Gandey tells Douglas McPherson how he tailored the show to become a mainstay of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
How circus helped its Ukrainian colleagues in their hour of need

How circus helped its Ukrainian colleagues in their hour of need

As Circus Cortex, a company made up primarily of Ukrainian refugees, tours the UK with its show Glory, Douglas McPherson finds out how the circus world has rallied to help Ukraine’s displaced performers following the Russian invasion
The Stage

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