Big Top Festival sponsored feature
A legendary theatre clown of the 19th century who toured with some of the biggest names in showbusiness will be brought back to life by his great-grand-daughter as part of the Big Top Festival in Southport this May Bank Holiday.
CutToTheChase Productions and Sidelong Glance presents ‘Wild Laughter: Fun on the Prom’, a collaboration between acclaimed performer Ellie Lybeck (Sidelong Glance) and visionary theatre maker Jen Heyes (CutToTheChase Productions).
Albert wanders Southport in his travelling outfit, pulling his trunk behind him. He stops festival-goers to show them his souvenir album: photos of himself enjoying seaside amusements and vintage postcards.
The final postcard is of the old Winter Gardens. On the back is written: ‘Meet me at the Winter Gardens. Love Annie x x x’.
Does anyone know the way…?
Albert James was a star of the 19th Century stage.
A theatre clown and patter baritone known to audiences as “Jimmy the Jester,” he toured across Britain and around the world with some of the biggest names in show business.
Yet after his death in 1913, Albert slipped into obscurity and is scarcely mentioned in theatre history.
For the Big Top Festival, his great-granddaughter, acclaimed physical performer Ellie Lybeck, steps into Albert’s shoes, bringing the forgotten clown back to life along with a troupe of the world’s most famous clowns and comics: from Pierrot and Feste to Charlie Chaplin and Victoria Wood.
The result is a unique performance event in which Albert and his company of fools enact a joyful 30-minute outdoor promenade performance for all ages.
Playful and interactive, the show blends historical storytelling with contemporary clowning, transforming public space into a lively performance arena.
Celebrating seaside variety, circus eccentricity and physical comedy, inspired by Albert’s appearances in Southport invites audiences to step into Albert’s mischievous world through laughter, movement and direct interaction.
Location
Town Hall Gardens Stage One
Lord Street, Southport, PR8 1DA
Time
Saturday – 13:00-13:35 & 16:30-17:05
Sunday – 13:00-14:05 & 15:30-16:05
About the Artist
Founder of CutToTheChase Productions, Jen Heyes is an award-winning director, acclaimed for her work regionally, nationally and internationally. A senior lecturer in literature at the University of Liverpool, she is also a world expert in circus history and practice. She founded her company Sidelong Glance in 2008 to produce innovative, exciting, and accessible research- led theatre and film for diverse audiences.
The Big Top Festival
Wild Laughter: Fun on the Prom is among 18 exciting performances that families can enjoy throughout the brand new Big Top Festival coming to Southport this May Bank Holiday Weekend!
You can explore all the interactive fun taking place for free across FIVE stages situated on Lord Street and the surrounding area in Southport town centre this Saturday and Sunday (2nd and 3rd May 2026).
Visitors will be able to clown around, stilt walk and juggle alongside world-class circus acts.
The Big Top Festival will see Southport town centre transformed like never before.
Expect breathtaking acrobatics and daring aerial displays with a talented line-up of acts from across the globe as well as from Southport itself.
As well as being free to attend, the event will also be part of the Merseyrail £2 deal where train travel from anywhere on the Merseyrail Network to Southport is only £2 for adults and £1 for children return on the event days.
The Big Top Festival is among a series of major new Southport 2026 attractions including Lightport and Books Alive! plus established local major events such as Southport Flower Show, Southport Air Show and Southport Comedy Festival, that are coming to Southport throughout 2026.
The 154th Open Golf Championship is also returning to Royal Birkdale in Southport this summer.
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