Where: Opening at Fennells Farm, Stroud

When: May 12 to September 24, 2017

Giffords Circus is returning this summer with an eagerly-awaited new tour featuring spectacular international artists and performers.

Any Port In A Storm is a unique, baroque-inspired show which will tour the South West and London, kicking off at the home of Giffords Circus, Fennells Farm in Stroud.

Opening on May 12 the show will tour villages and towns including Sudeley Castle in Winchcombe, Daylesford Organic Farm, Blenheim Palace, Chiswick House & Gardens in London and the stately Stonor Park in Henley- on-Thames.

Inspired by the paintings of Diego Velasquez, Any Port in a Storm is set in the Spanish court of King Philip IV in the 17th Century.

Household favourite, Tweedy the clown, is at odds with the court sovereign Philip IV, played by Little Man David Pilikut. The high formality and strict etiquette of the court is established through a series of equestrian and gymnastic vignettes.

Nell Gifford, co-founder and co-producer of Giffords Circus with husband Toti, said: "This is one of our favourite times of the year, we love the feeling of anticipation and enjoy the flood of creativity that emerges as we prepare for a new tour.

"Each year we push ourselves to go bigger and better than ever before and this year is no different. 

"We're welcoming back old friends to the Giffords Circus family and making new ones and they're all exceptionally talented artistes and performers.

"Any Port In A Storm is already shaping up to be pretty spectacular, we're really excited."

Award-winning screen and stage director, Cal McCrystal, returns for his sixth consecutive year to direct the show which features spine-tingling performances from an international team including a Cuban acrobatic troupe, Russian gymnast Sergei Poliakov, an Italian juggler, a Spanish comedy duo, a Hungarian Csikos rider and a Ukranian flyer.

Tickets cost from £15 for adults and from £10 for children aged three to 14 years. Children aged three and under go free if sitting on a lap.

Giffords Circus' unique 60-cover restaurant Circus Sauce, the UK's only travelling restaurant, will also be on site for circus-goers. A three-course meal costs from £30 for adults and from £20 for children. Circus Sauce is not a licensed restaurant and diners are invited to bring their own drinks.

Tickets to Any Port In A Storm are on sale now and can be purchased from the Giffords Circus website www.giffordscircus.com  or the Box Office on 0845 459 7469.