Our next film on Sunday 5th March will be about the rise to fame to one of the first black clowns who formed a duo with white clown Foottit in 1886. Come and watch it with us for free!

Circus is still a popular form of entertainment in France, have you heard about Cirque du Soleil (sun circus)? It is a Canadian company, now world famous, staging elaborate shows with amazing costumes. They use circus techniques from around the world, and the spectacular results are often on French TV over the Christmas period.

Here is a bit of vocabulary you might find useful for the film or if you go to the circus!

Le clown (pronounce cloon or no one will understand you) = clown
Le chapiteau = circus tent
Un/une équilibriste = tight rope walker
Un/une trapéziste = trapeze artist
Monsieur Loyal = ringmaster
Le public = audience
Un/une jongleur/jongleuse = a juggler
Un/une magicien/magicienne = a magician

Do you know why we call the ringmaster Monsieur Loyal?

It is because of messieurs Loyal, who were famous circus artists and later ringmasters, and their name became a generic noun for ringmaster!

You are all set for our free cine club in French but with English subtitles on Sunday 5th March at 6.30 pm!