THE circus is in town, but you won’t see any frightening clowns or overworked animals performing in the Funtastia big top.

Instead, you might be watching with your hands over your eyes as four motorcyclists battle it out in the globe of death or as tightrope walker Elodie tiptoes on a line above the stage while she hula-hoops.

And the troupe invited me along to teach a few tricks and give readers a preview of what they can expect from the show.

First of all, ringmistress Tracy Jones invited me to stand in the middle of the globe of death while a motorbiker whizzed around me. I politely declined. But 13-year-old juggler Harley Quinn fearlessly stepped in and even high-fived the biker as he revved scarily close to her.

Next Elodie tried to teach me to hula-hoop. Usually she wouldn’t bat an eye at tightrope walking while swirling six hoops around her waist but I could not manage as much as a twirl with one hoop.

Elodie’s advice was to use a bit of force when you start the hoop spinning so you build up the momentum and then to keep moving, making sure to keep your arms up and out of the way.

But five minutes of practice does not make up for a lifetime of rehearsals. And most of the performers at Circus Funtasia have been honing their skills since they were young children.

Duo Peris, a brother and sister roller-skating act, are the fourth generation of their family to go into the circus and have spent most of their lives on skates.

And Harley Quinn revealed that many of the performers spend more than two hours a day perfecting their act.

While trying to teach me to juggle with just two hoops, she explained: “I started juggling when I was seven but I have been performing since I was three with my dad’s troupe. It’s quite full on working in the circus but this is my life. When we get a few days off we go shopping together and things like that.

“You learn so much, I get to learn other languages and I think I get to learn a lot more than other teens because I get to see the world and see the business side of the job.”

As she watched me flick the hoops across the tent, almost hitting the photographer in the eye, she kindly added: “Don’t worry - when you drop it is embarrassing but everybody drops sometimes. It takes a lot of practice.”

Circus Funtastia is at Orford Park until April 17 Visit circusfuntasia.co.uk.