Everyone loves a circus – or what P.T. Barnum called "the greatest show on earth".

Colourful, fun, fascinating and entertaining, the circus crosses social, racial, age, language and ethnic lines in its universal appeal – as Bermuda Festival audiences will discover with the debut of the Moscow Circus at the Ruth Seaton James Centre for the Performing Arts this evening.

From the reign of Catherine the Great, Empress of all Russia (1762-96), until today, the circus has played an important role in that country's rich cultural traditions. It is regarded as an art form on a par with ballet and opera, since it too requires highly skilled and creative artists.

Its history begins with an Englishman, Charles Hughes, who was partly responsible for the great popularity of the Russian circus. A renowned horseman and impresario, he gave a command performance with his troupe of circus entertainers for Catherine the Great. So captivated by the performance was the Empress that she ordered two circus rings to be built for the entrepreneurial Englishman.

Mr. Hughes remained in St. Petersburg for a year before returning to England. His performers, however, were so admired by the Russian nobility that they stayed on, and thus gave birth to the contemporary Russian circus we know today.

The Nikulin Moscow Circus was founded in 1880 in response to this overwhelming popularity, and soon became Russia's most respected and loved circus. Following the turmoil of the 1917 revolution, the founding fathers of the Soviet Union recognised the importance of the circus as a popular and egalitarian form of entertainment, enjoyed by all of its citizens. Artistic skill, creativity and originality rather than sophistication were the ingredients of universal enjoyment.

In time, state circus schools were established in Moscow and other cities, with circuses developing in quality and on a scale unknown in other countries. From the 1950s, Russian circuses became a highly successful cultural export, making frequent tours to the United States and Europe.

At their height, and on the eve of the collapse of Communism in the early 1990s, there were 70 permanent circus buildings and approximately 50 travelling circuses.

The fall of Communism threw this massive cultural organisation into disarray, and the future was at times uncertain. However, the Moscow Circus has continued to thrive, and recently celebrated its 120th anniversary.

With its rich tradition and enviable reputation, the Moscow Circus remains the standard by which others are judged, and is one of the jewels of Russia's impressive cultural heritage.

Directing and producing the Moscow Circus is Sasha Vosk, whose involvement in show biz began at age 11, when he learned the art of mime from his uncle. At 14 he moved to Moscow to perform and study mime, stand-up comedy and theatre. Later, he added circus arts to his act, and studied at the Moscow College of the Circus and Variety Arts – the home of the Moscow Circus. Emigrating to the US in 1981, his professional credits include creating and co-producing the Emmy Award-winning HBO feature film, 'Billy Crystal – Midnight Train to Moscow' as well as a circus/song/dance spectacular for the State Circus of Ukraine, which enjoyed a two-year run in Moscow. For its 125th anniversary, Mr. Vosk was honoured for his "substantial contribution to the development of the art of the circus".

Producer Lena Vosk, is a former Moscow Circus performer, and the wife and partner of Sasha Vosk. Together they produced one of the largest ethnic Russian festivals in New York City's Battery Park, which was attended by over 300,000 people. The couple have been creating and producing successful US tours of the Moscow Circus since 1998.

Certainly, Bermuda Festival audiences are in for a very special experience, as the company of acrobats, hand balancers, jugglers, clowns; aerial strap, ring and silk artists; Rudolf's folk trio, and others dazzle and delight with their artistry.

Curtain time for all evening performances is 8 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. for matinées.

n For full information on performance dates and ticket availability see websites www.bermudafestival.org or www.bdatix.bm Alternatively, telephone 232-2255, or visit BDATIX ticket centres: the iStore, 46 Reid Street, Hamilton (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), and Fabulous Fashions, Heron Bay Plaza, Southampton (Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)