The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-28 00:00:00

AGRICULTURAL HALL CIRCUS.

In these days of active competition very little
can be does is providing amusement for the public without
the paression of large capital, nod much spirit and enter-
piing. Mr. Snug*, the well-known refreebment contractor
of the Crystal Panne, who thinks nothing of victaalliog
fifty thousand people in a few hours, has found employment
for his spare energy in another gigantic undertaking. Asp-
dated with Mr. Pulleyn—a gentleman already favourably
known in cones:km with public exhibitions—he has con-
verted the vast area of the Agricultural Hall at Islington
into a gigantic theatre far equestrian performasouwbich has
andel y never been equalled in England. The floor of this hall
—one hundred and fifty feet broad and three hundred feet
long—has been railed in and covered with tan and nardust ;
a space mare like a nee course than an ordinary circus.
The centre of this space is occupied by a circus of the usual
fixed dimensions, which on be removed in a few minutes
when the whole arena in wanted for more impressive dig.
plays. Seats have been built up on each aide of this vast
arena, divided into several class's, and, with the permanent
galleries, accommodation is now provided for more than
sixteen thousand prisms. The lighting of the ball has been
greatly improved, and rows of gas jets are now sketched
along the whole line of the galleries round tie building.
The decorations include festoons of Bowen and human,
and the glair roof has been underhuog with a sane ceiling.
The company engaged by Messrs. Strange and Pulleyn to
perform in this new circus is on a scale proportioned to the
building. There are more than three hundred performers
and one hundred horses ; a number of lions and tigers; a band
of sixty instrumentalists ; and domes of circus grease. The
serobate—male and female—include every variety of circus
ozer ; vaulters, headed by the celebrated Mr. Arthur
who can torn one hundred consecutive summersaults
at a spring board ; wirerlancers and jugglers, riders and
brawn on barebacked bones ; exhibitors of trained ponies,
squeakier of the " high school," who ride waltzing steeds ;
posterns learned in the art of doubling-up, and clowns re-
wound by Messrs. Thorne, Delavanti, and Ghee, who are
known oe the continent as "The Parisian Grotesques."
Amongst the most prominent circus-riders we may mention
Mr. Freak Pastor, an Arearicee, who goes cleverly through
geed el those &nag ennuaerseult tricks oe horseback
which were so meek admired here some years ago,
MIMI Mr. M'Cullum performed them in Fruncoei's
Maus at Drury-Isec Circus riding has much im.
moved during the last tweedy rears, and many things
are dorm now with little apparent effort which the late
lir. Ducrow would never have attempted. Mr. Well6v, on
• spirited hone, goes through all those exciting perform-
ances knows as Prairie-riding; and Mr. Joel Ghee, on •
I barebacked steed, executes some clever leaping tricks with
great saes aed precidon.
These feats, however, and many others penalise to the
awe proper, are not so well eakulated to Stag out the
esseurese of the company, and to show the exceptional
agasity of the hall, as the Roman chariot-noes, the
sasepleehaser, and the races on barebacked steeds. Ha-
thing mote exciting than tine perfeeveaues has ever been'
telessed within a buildieg— the rider, eying Toned the
• wilds vast arena. Amongst the leading sens•tieed
estertnianseets are Mr. Crockett mid his performing
hoes the same Mr. Crockett who has kept all
i Pass in a natio( joyous excitement for the last twelve.
mash, la Mains to all then atlearitione, by way of