The Ringmaster

The Ringmaster (2005)

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The Ringmaster was a reality TV series that I made together with Michael Lee and Manu Padayachee for SABC in South Africa. Our idea was to adapt the international tradition of circus competitions into a reality TV format.

We auditioned amateur performers from across South Africa and picked the best to compete for a chance to perform with the Great Moscow Circus, which was touring South Africa at that time. We found an amazing collection of performers. It was a window into the proud tradition of circus performing in South Africa. The students and teachers at the Zip Zap Circus School were completely inspiring. And we were also able to bring in many outliers, young people doing acrobatics on the street for change who had had no formal instruction. It was a real South Africa story, diverse and challenging and full of potential.