ROLL up, roll up! The circus is heading to town this year to entertain families in Chard and Ilminster.

John Lawson’s All Human Circus has been given permission to host its attraction on Ilminster’s Recreation Ground and Chard’s Jocelyn Park.

It will be the first time the circus has visited the towns and The News caught up with ringmaster John Lawson to see what visitors can expect.

He said: “We are a long-established circus and we have had to change and adapt to keep our increasingly sophisticated audiences happy.

“Rather than the big towns where everyone goes, we like to head to the smaller towns like Chard and Ilminster, where they perhaps don’t get as much entertainment, and put it right on their doorstep.

“The attractions here are for all of the family, from toddlers through to grandma and granddad – there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

“We have a Ukrainian family of foot jugglers, aerial girls and all sorts of impressive surprises. This is a way of life, not just a 9-5. We get no funding and we are constantly trying to keep it fresh. My parents started the circus and I am very proud to keep it going.

“I love it when it is local like in Chard and Ilminster because part of the fun is that most people in the audience know each other and it is all the more funny when they know it is the butcher who is getting picked on by a clown or the local headmaster in the audience. We have tried to improve our facilities for the audience with new toilet facilities, luxury bucket seating and improved Big Top heating and lighting, and we have now booked what we believe to be our most entertaining troupe of artistes to augment our family house acts.”

The Big Top will come to Chard on three unconfirmed dates in June and will roll into Ilminster from June 22-24.