Between defiance and control: wild animal performance in the interwar circus

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article explores the mishaps during tiger and lion performances at circuses in the interwar period via the concept of losing control. It argues that accidents involving wild animals offer a view behind the scenes in the highly regulated environment of circus performances. This approach allows us to access the agency of performance animals and audiences’ interpretations of these unintended aspects of the show. Animal trainers embody the regulated and rehearsed world of the circus, but their animal performances, and especially the mishaps that occasionally occur, permit us to read wild animals as agents. Through a case study of the trainer Georg Kulovits, better known as Togare, this article analyses how animal behaviour disrupted the emotional dramas of interwar circus performances. In addition, these accidents functioned as a key performative act, as they reminded audiences of the authenticity of the show.