By Dark Artefacts & Blood Brothers Magic

A secret, hidden for nearly 100 years, is revealed as you invite the audience to identify the victim of one of the most tragic events in circus sideshow history. Based on a true story, Satan’s Circus is an easy to do routine requiring no slights, that can be used for close up or stage performances.

Satan’s Circus is the second effect in our circus/sideshow trilogy. It’s highly effective routine using authentic-looking props and is based loosely around the true story of Selina Powell, Madame Geneive (Female Blondin), a tight rope dancer and circus performer, who fell to her death on the 20^th July 1863.

Effect

The performer begins by introducing Erasmus Carter, the ringmaster of Carter’s Travelling Circus Sideshow. Carter had an eye for a pretty face and could charm almost anyone. But he also had a much darker side, with a quick and violent temper with many - including his talented performers, often feeling his wrath - especially following his bouts of heavy drinking.

Carter employed many performers during the early 1900s, choosing many, not only for their unique talent but also their great beauty.

At this point, the performer unties an old cloth and displays seven vintage pitch cards showing some of the performers who Carter employed. Each photo gives the performer’s stage name and year of birth.

The performer goes on to explain that whenever a new girl joined Carter’s Circus Sideshow he would give them a ‘lucky’ penny to keep. The date on the coin would correspond to the girl’s birthdate. The performer introduces a velvet drawstring bag and proceeds to tip seven pennies from it onto the table explaining that one of these pennies belonged to one of the girls in the photos. He then goes onto explain how one of them met a gruesome end, allegedly at the hand of the brutal ringmaster after she spurned his advances.

Next, the performer opens the envelope and removes a letter containing a poem. He reads out the letter and poem and explains how the letter was found sometime later amongst the girl’s belongings.

The performer then states that whoever holds the coin has the power to determine, just by looking at the photos, which one of the girls was the unfortunate victim.

The performer asks for the help of an audience member and hands them the pennies. He then asks them to throw the coins on the table and eliminate them one by one until there is only one coin remaining. The performer remarks that the date on the remaining coin is 1902 and places the coin on the photograph with the corresponding date.

Each of the other photos is then turned over to reveal the brief histories of these performers and how they lived long and fulfilling lives. Finally, the performer turns over the photograph of one of the unfortunate performers to show the blood-splattered back and to the amazement of the audience reveals how this girl was murdered during her performance.

Details, details….

The props have been carefully reproduced and aged to resemble actual items that would have been around in the early part of the twentieth century. The coins are real old English Pennies.

What’s included

• 7 x hand-made, aged, vintage pitch cards of circus performers
• Cloth wrap and string
• Velvet drawstring bag
• 7 x old English pennies
• Letter and envelope
• Instruction booklet and full routine

*Please note: dates on photos and coins may differ and are subject to availability.