After nearly a decade, Stardust Circus returns to amaze and captivate families on the Far South Coast

But they're not complaining since Stardust Circus has returned to Bega for the first time in nearly a decade.

Opening on Thursday night, Stardust brought a cast of characters to town.

Memphis, a 20-year-old, stood alongside The Laughing Clowns carnival game, each clown painted with a name to honour a Stardust performer: from Charley, Oscar and Arthur, to Hucklbery and Oaky.

With smoky eyeshadow and a red lip, she was prepared in advance for a mesmerising aerial act with her cousin.

A gentleman leaned against a wall of toys, an array of plastic yellow ducks in his midst.

"I have been with the circus for about 30 years. I perform somersaults on the teeterboard," said Gabi.

The catcher of the final act's flying trapeze, Casey, stood by a spinning teacup ride, his biceps struggling to stay contained under his black polo.

"My job is to play on swings and hang upside down. A way to make a living," he said before laughing.

As the show began, Jan Lennon, manager and matriarch of the circus, sat admiring her multi-generation family of performers.

Wyatt, a 12 year old boy, stood precariously on his uncle's shoulders, his eyes gazed straight ahead, selecting a point in the tent. He kept thinking, "Try and land it. Don't get distracted."

His lips twitched before he pushed upwards, somersaulting, arriving once more on the shoulders of his uncle who took the weight with gritted teeth. Wyatt's hands flourished in celebration.

Hucklbery the clown crept carefully in the shadows of the circus tent, wearing a tie dye shirt, oversized bowtie and braced pants, he held a blue water pistol.

Two young men wondered why their necks were dripping with water, as children couldn't contain their laughter. Fathers swatted away near their ears, as Hucklbery was now armed with a balloon.

"I call him Pierre, he's my French tickler," said Matt Smith, animal trainer and Hucklbery.

"I'm named after my dad's car when I was a kid. The numberplate was Huck. I like to make people laugh, that's my favourite part," he said while smiling.

A young child anxiously sat, her eyes were locked on 17-year-old Rikki as he defied gravity momentarily on the Wheel of Death, blindfolded.

"That's the closest he's ever gone," said Jan, as she whispered to me.

Stardust Circus is at Bega Showground from March 2-12. Contact 0418CIRCUS or www.stardustcircus.com.au for show times and ticket bookings.

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