Q&A with Karl Shaw, author of The First Showman
Gandey World Class Productions has celebrated over a century of entertaining audiences with spectacular shows like Gandeys Circus and Cirque Surreal - both currently enjoying runs in Dudley and the intu Trafford Centre respectively until 3rd November. But paving the way for the Gandey success story, for more than four decades Philip Astley managed and performed in the world’s first modern circus. In this week's blog, we find out some interesting facts from Karl Shaw , who lives in Astley's hometown Newcastle-under-Lyme, and is the author of 'The First Showman', set to be published later this month... An artist's impression of Philip Astley, the founder of modern circus. Q: Tell us about Astley's claim to fame as the founder of the modern circus and original 'showman'... A: Before the big tops, a hundred years before P.T. Barnum sold a ticket, Philip Astley was the world’s original circus mogul, a natural born showman with an eye for eve...
