By Elyse Heineman
The Paranormal Cirque III was in Frederick for one weekend only, from the 28th-30th of March. The Cirque describes itself as a “fusion between Circus, theatre, and cabaret” as well as a “R-rated horror circus” on its website.
Throughout the year, the circus travels to each city on its roster for a few days and then moves onto the next as if it was never there at all. With four branches, labelled I, II, III, and IV respectively, this circus covers much of the country each weekend. There are typically five to six shows in each city, one on Friday, two on both Saturday and Sunday, and occasionally one on Monday.
When guests entered the large tent, scare actors were seen milling about the crowd, jumping out at unsuspecting patrons, and adding to the atmosphere created by the red lights pointed around the stage.
The seats were set up in a circle around the stage, with rows between for performers to walk through and stand in during the performance. No matter the seat placement, the view was clear and easy to see from any point.
Although the first rows around the stage featured the majority of the audience participation, there was focus on all areas of the audience, including a lengthy act involving a man in one of the furthest rows from the stage.
This show was very quick to prove its R rating, as many of the jokes were of a sexual nature, and the costuming was quite revealing on many of the women in the circus. The Cirque has a clear age requirement stated plainly on any ticket purchases.
“No-one under the age of 13 will be admitted to the show. Guests aged 13 – 17 must be accompanied by an adult.”
Not shy from its less than PG atmosphere, the Cirque played into tropes and tricks that were altered from a traditional family friendly show.
Some of the featured acts during our show included motorcycle tricks on a high wire, fire whips, many acrobatic showcases, partner lifts and spins, the wheel of death, and dance numbers. All with limited clothes on the performers, and centered around a story about the devil stealing the main character’s soul at the end.
Despite being an engaging time (and a very loud one), there was not much outside of the show itself, with only one food stand, alcohol sales, and some merch. During its fifteen minute intermission however, there was a chance to take photos and interact with some of the performers in the stage area.
The intrigue and mystery of the show is one of the biggest draws to the Paranormal Cirque as a whole. Its website has info about locations and how to get tickets, but other than that information, it’s anyone’s guess as to what is inside the big red tent.
The Paranormal Cirque will return to Frederick in 2026. Tickets and show dates can be found on the Paranormal Cirque website, https://paranormalcirque.com/
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