Douglas McPherson

From circus to Strictly to magic and more, Blackpool is synonymous with entertainment. Douglas McPherson goes back in time at Showtown, a new museum showcasing the town’s glory days as the seaside home of showbusiness

Ireland’s Daring Dames Festival puts the spotlight on female circus stars, often performing acts traditionally associated with men. Organiser Dea Birkett and some of its stars talk to Douglas McPherson about challenging gender stereotypes in the big top and beyond

More than 100 years on, new show Laurel and Chaplin: The Feud explores the relationship between Britain’s biggest comedy stars and why they lost touch as they rose to fame. The producer Jon Conway talks to Douglas McPherson

As Circus Funtasia celebrates 10 years on the road, director Tracy Jones tells us about how it all began, surviving tough times and what lies ahead

Father and son duo Michael and James Taylor tell Douglas McPherson about their producing company Entertainers, which has 30 productions running in more than 26 countries

Circus performers and creatives are often forgotten in the King’s honours, says Douglas McPherson

As the Thursford Christmas Spectacular – a three-hour, multimillion-pound festive marathon – celebrates its 45th anniversary, we meet two generations of the family that built the country’s biggest Christmas show in a village in Norfolk

Circus was once an art form without any formal entry routes, but in recent years circus training has flourished in the UK. We explore its contribution to the circus landscape in the UK and internationally

In 1911, the Victorian showman Lord George Sanger was brutally murdered by a disgruntled employee. Or was he? A new book is reopening the 100-year-old case

Observing the age-old adage that the show must go on and focusing on affordability for audiences, the directors of Britain’s biggest circuses discuss how they have adapted to keep ticket prices low and big tops full this year, despite rising costs