I Performed for the Prime Minister in Hotpants...

...no, really I did. And I met the pet sheep named Colin- he is fantastic.

Since I last wrote we've been to many places after Cheltenham including Broadway, Tackley, Stadhampton, Lechlade, and we are now in Barrington on a two-week stay. The shows are continuing to go extremely well, and as you can see from the photos above, I have had a chance to meet some celebs once we reached Tackley. First I met British tennis player Tim Henman, then Johny Greenwood from Radiohead, and in Lechlade Helena Bonham-Carter and Tim Burton came to the shows with their kids. They were both fantastic people and their kids so cute! I was giving them a tour of the back tent and the ring at one point and both of their kids started to try on the pig head, goose head, and others from the show and then Tim and Helena did as well and took some photos on their iPhones. It was hilarious! I was thrilled to have a chance to talk to Tim about his work and how much I enjoyed his MoMa exhibit (it is currently touring in Melbourne, Australia) and Helena was telling Nell Gifford and nanny Phillipa and I about her current filming of the movie "Toast." What a day that was!

After Lechlade we arrived in Barrington where we are currently, and Kate Winslet's director ex husband and kids came to the show (she no longer lives in Barrington) as well as Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron with his wife and kids. I didn't want to bother the Prime Minister for a photo but I did have a chance to greet him after the show, and he said he loved it! I was slightly embarrassed by the hotpants I have to wear in the second act, but no matter...I work for the circus!

Besides the shows we've had some great fun as a circus family going out to pubs and clubs in Oxford and Cheltenham as well as people's birthday parties. Lance the chef had his famous birthday party on a river boat in Lechlade (where the mouth of the Thames is) and we all drank, danced, and even went for a swim in the river! The next day was our day off so everyone relaxed at Rob's house and had a barbeque and played some tennis and drank some Pimms and lemonade, which I must say is quickly becoming my favorite summer drink. Now that we're in Barrington we are at a wonderful pub called "The Fox Inn" next to our site, and everyone comes down for drinks after the shows and we have a fantastic time.

I was hit with a spout of homesickness recently as we're at the halfway point in our tour and everything, but that's only natural. I am loving every minute but also missing my family, friends, and boyfriend back in New York and Connecticut. Two of my best friends got engaged recently (and I'm going to be able to make it to Katrina's engagement party hooray!) and my family is going through some changes but I will be there soon enough to join them. I have had my boyfriend and parents visit so far, and I just found out my best friend Veronica and her husband will be coming to visit in Minchinhampton, so that is really exciting to hear! She is an amazing makeup artist and we met on modeling shoots back in New York and became instant best friends. A lot of London friends have come to the shows, and another New York friend Kayleigh who I went to Fordham University with might be making an appearance in August and then traveling to Paris with me after the tour. Yupee!

What else to tell? Oh! I booked a modeling gig for a yogawear company coming up in the next few weeks, so that's very exciting to have a little bit of my old work to look forward to, and we've also appeared in a few magazines such as "The Lady" "Country Life" and "Cotswolds Life" among others. The Lady featured some photos of Roxane and I in our tutus with Yasmine and the horse Zigfield. It is the July 17th issue with Nell Gifford and nanny Philippa and the two twins Cecil and Red on the cover with the headline "Nell Gifford: Mum in a Big Top."

Here is a funny story: we had the craziest day last Tuesday when we found out that our tent was too close to the electric lines so tent master Ian told us all we would have to take down the tent and pull it back up again all in the same day (mind you this is usually split up between two days and we don't have shows) AND do two shows! You can imagine how tired we all were after the shows, but it was a hilarious process and I've never seen us all work so fast and so together on tent duties before. Poor Ian was so upset that Rob wasn't in fact "taking the piss" when he told him what Toti had ordered but that he was, in fact, serious. Yet another perfect example of my favorite line: "Yep, I work for the circus."

Tonight we have another house party from one of the locals in Barrington following our last show of the day, so that should be fun! Tomorrow night is our last night in Barrington before our move on Monday after the last show, so I'm sure we will all be at the pub to celebrate. The Fox Inn has by far been my favorite pub on this tour as the landlord Paul is so funny and he never closes for the circus.

More soon,

with love

Carolina the traveling circus gypsy

xxx

You Know You Work for the Circus When...

You Know You Work For The Circus When......

Brian the Goose wakes you up sqwawking outside your window

The horses poop in the ring and there’s no time to scoop it so you dance on horse poo in the ball scene

You practice walking the wire in your spare time

On your day off you decide to learn aerial dancing on the silks

The cook’s electric scooter is called Henry William George

Your fellow performer has a pet sheep named Colin

You go clubbing and the Russians start dancing like Borat

The showers get turned off on move day so post-show the cast is taking down the tent in full clown makeup and high visibility jackets

You wear wellies with your tutu when not in the ring

You are admitted to see Buena Vista Social Club for free at the Hay on Wye festival because you’re “with the circus"

It has really been the most incredible journey so far. We've rehearsed for three weeks in the Cotswolds (Bourton on the Water where the circus is based), then had ten days of previews in Gloucester followed by two weeks in Hay on Wye, Wales during Hay Festival, and now we're in Cheltenham on the racecourse. As you can see above...there's really never a dull moment when you work for the circus, and I couldn't be happier to be a part of this experience.

The Hay on Wye shows were jam-packed and we had some amazing reviews (just Google Giffords Circus) such as the one done by "The Stage" here in the UK. On our day off we had a chance to record the official Giffords Circus "Yasmine! A Musical" CD so that will be out soon ready for purchase. We had a lot of fun recording it. We've also had some celebrity writers, cooks, and comedians come to the shows so far, but apparently once we reach Tackley or Stadhampton (the closest shows to London) we should have some of the celebrities from last season showing up such as Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter as well as Kate Moss, Kate Winslet, and Vivienne Westwood. I would die if I get to meet any of them, how exciting. I'm such a fan of Tim Burton (see previous post regarding his exhibit at the MoMa when I was back in NY). I don't even need to say anything about Kate Moss or Vivienne Westwood as I model in NY and I am the biggest fan of anything fashion but especially those with the talent of Kate and Vivienne. As for other goings-on in Hay, there were interesting lectures, movie showings (such as the "Dharma Brothers" regarding introducing Vastassna meditation in prisons: great film), and concerts. Buena Vista Social Club was just one of them. I had a great moment listening and dancing to Buena Vista where they played the song "Chan Chan" that Ballet Hispanico danced to in their "Noche Latina." Seeing them live and having danced for Ballet Hispanico made me immensely happy.

Anyway, lots to tell and my mind is so scattered. We are about to pull up the tent here in Cheltenham and my little caravan is all unpacked after the pack-down process we all go through before moving towns. I don't know how I'll ever get used to living in my one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan anymore! I rather like this little caravan of mine. I've also worried less about the unimportant things while out here in the countryside. I'm still a New Yorker at heart, but living in my homeland of England with the carefree-ness of a Brazilian.

Speaking of Brazil: THE WORLD CUP STARTS IN JUST TWO DAYS!!! I have to root for Brazil first as allllllll my family lives there except my parents and brother, then I will root for England next as I was born here, then Spain and USA because I lived in each country for a long time. I can't wait to watch the matches. I've got a World Cup poster hanging on my wall tracking all the games with spots left for filling in the results and who makes it to the next round from each grouping.

More soon, with love

Carolina the Circus Gypsy