For families looking for an alternative production this festive season, Aviva Studios has the European premiere of Circa and Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep’s Circus Show. First appearing in Wallace & Gromit’s 1995 classic A Close Shave, Shaun has established himself as a firm favourite with families. Combining the cast of characters from Muddy Bottom Farm with acrobatics straight from a circus tent, this family-friendly extravaganza is primed to keep the kids entertained during the show’s run until January 4th.
Our farm set fills the large stage of The Hall at Aviva Studios, with green fields and rural landscapes building out Shaun’s world. The impressive, sloped backdrop acts as a slide for our cast of adventurous sheep, drawing the biggest reaction from the audience as they launch down in the Act 1 finale. The first act weaves acrobatics with some key scenes from the show, a treat for any Shaun the Sheep loyalist. With lots of audience interaction, there was lots of opportunities to join in with the fun.
Similarly to the show, the cast doesn’t use full dialogue, instead the odd grunt and animal noises – this means the cast relies on physical humour to engage the audience. Jordan Twartz particularly excels here as the Farmer, quickly becoming a fan favourite with the younger members of the audience. However, the lack of dialogue does make the 1 hour 40 minutes drag for those older audience members, especially when compared to seasonal pantomimes that cater more for the adults in the audience. The show’s first act takes time to establish the different characters of Muddy Bottom Farm, with the acrobatics leaning more on the tamer side.
However, after the interval, the show really kicks into high gear with our cast putting on a live circus show for the bumbling Farmer. This act sees more extravagant tricks that got a much larger reaction out of the mixed generation audience. A balancing see-saw and aerial silks routine particularly stood out and allowed the performers to truly show off their skills, often having the audience gasping and applauding as they demonstrated their ability and strength. This builds to an impressive finale which sees our flock of sheep performing tricks and skills up and down an acrobatic pole. This section sees some truly exhilarating stunts, with cast members expertly controlling their freefalls down the pole from great heights.
For what this show does lack in Christmas cheer and cheesy songs, it makes up for with impressive circus skills. A must see for any Shaun the Sheep fan, a great opportunity to see your favourite characters on-stage in such a unique way. Plus, the reaction from the younger members of the audience demonstrated just how much fun this production is for the entire family.
Shaun the Sheep’s Circus Show plays at Aviva Studios until 4th January 2026. For dates and ticket availability visit https://factoryinternational.org/whats-on/shaun-the-sheeps-circus-show/
Reviewer: Harry Alty
Reviewed: 16th December 2025
North West End UK Rating:
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