Philip Astley is regarded as the "father of the modern circus. " He was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme in England and his father was a cabinetmaker. At the age of nine, he apprenticed to work with his father, but Astley's dream was to work with horses, so he joined Colonel Eliott's Fifteenth Light Dragoon Regiment when he was 17, later becoming a Sergeant Major. He also served in the Seven Years War, and his army service brought him into contact with professional trainers and horse riders.

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  • Philip Astley is regarded as the "father of the modern circus. " He was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme in England and his father was a cabinetmaker. At the age of nine, he apprenticed to work with his father, but Astley's dream was to work with horses, so he joined Colonel Eliott's Fifteenth Light Dragoon Regiment when he was 17, later becoming a Sergeant Major. He also served in the Seven Years War, and his army service brought him into contact with professional trainers and horse riders. Astley himself was a brilliant rider. Astley had a genius for trick riding. He saw that trick riders received more attention from the crowds in Islington. He had an idea for opening a riding school in London, where he could also conduct shows of acrobatic riding skill. In 1768, Astley opened his riding school in London, south of the Westminster Bridge. He taught in the morning and performed his “feats of horsemanship” in the afternoon. Astley called the arena a circus because of its shape, and Astley chose it for two reasons. First of all, it was easier for the audience to keep the riders in sight. Secondly, the ring (as the circus was better known) helped riders through generation of centrifugal force, which allowed them to keep their balance whilst standing on the backs of their galloping horses. After a few years, he added a platform, seats, and a roof to his ring. Astley's original circus was 62 ft (~19 m) in diameter, and later he settled it at 42 ft (~13 m), which has been an international standard for circuses since then. Astley began to make more and more money and made a good reputation. However, after two seasons in London, he had to bring some novelty to his performances, so he hired other equestrians, musicians, a clown, jugglers, tumblers, tightrope walkers, and dancing dogs. This laid the foundations of the modern circus, as we know it today. His circus was so popular that he was invited in 1772 to perform before King Louis XV of France in Versailles. Astley's Amphitheatre opened in London in 1773; it burned on September 17, 1794, but was rebuilt and, in course of prosperity and rebuilding after successive fires, grew into Astley's Royal Amphitheatre. Astley opened the first Parisian circus in 1782, which he called the Ampitheatre Anglais. Soon after that, others opened new circuses, and this led to their worldwide fame. Astley's first competitor was equestrian Charles Hughes, who had previously worked with Astley. Together with Charles Dibdin, a famous author of pantomimes, Hughes opened a rival amphitheatre in London, which Dibdin called Royal Circus and Equestrian Philharmonic Academy. Astley established 18 other circuses in other European cities; was patronised by a great number of royals, and was famous, envied, and occasionally rich. He never used wild animals in the circus arena. They began to be displayed 14 years after his death in Paris. He was buried in Paris' Père Lachaise cemetery, having expired from gout in the stomach. Astley's Amphitheatre is referenced in Jane Austen's Emma, in Chapter 54: "He delivered these papers to John, at his chambers, and was asked by him to join their party the same evening to Astley's. They were going to take the two eldest boys to Astley's. " It is also a motif of James Joyce's Finnegans Wake. Astley's fame is also marked by the existence of three dance tunes which bear his name - Astley's Ride(s), Astley's Flag and more common, Astley's Hornpipe . Astley's Ride appears as the first tune in the music manuscript book of poet John Clare.
  • Philip Astley ist der Begründer des modernen Zirkus. Zirkus ging aus der Pferdedressur hervor, deshalb wurden die Zirkusleute im 19. Jahrhundert oft "englische Reiter" genannt. Astleys Vater war Schreiner und wollte seinem Sohn dieses Handwerk weitergeben, doch Philip zog es vor, mit Pferden zu arbeiten. Im Alter von 17 Jahren ging er daher zu den Dragonern (Colonel Eliott's Fifteenth Light Dragoon Regiment), wurde dort Unteroffizier und leistete Dienst im Franzosen- und Indianerkrieg in Nordamerika. Er war ein brillanter Reiter und hatte Freude am Erfinden und Einstudieren von Kunststücken. Im Jahr 1768 eröffnete Philip Astley eine Reitschule in London, südlich der Westminster Bridge, wo er morgens unterrichtete und nachmittags Vorführungen gab. Er nannte seine Arena nach dem Vorbild des römischen Circus Maximus "Circus". Er wählte die runde Form, weil das Publikum das Geschehen so am besten überblicken konnte und weil sie den Reitern gestattete, im Kreis zu reiten und damit die Zentrifugalkräfte für ihre Kunststücke zu nutzen, etwa wenn sie auf dem Rücken ihres Pferds standen. Nach einigen Jahren ergänzte er seinen "ring" mit einer Plattform, Sitzen und einem Dach. Astley's Circus hatte ursprünglich einen Durchmesser von etwa 19 Meter, später änderte er ihn auf etwa 13 Meter, was bis heute ein Standard für die Manege im Zirkus geblieben ist. Durch seinen guten Ruf und seine wirtschaftliche Geschicklichkeit gelang es ihm bald, zu expandieren. Nach einigen Spielzeiten engagierte er weitere Dressurreiter, ein Orchester, einen Clown, Jongleure und weitere Artisten. So begründete er ein Zirkusunternehmen, wie man es bis heute kennt. Raubtiere im Zirkus zu präsentieren wurde allerdings erst nach Astleys Tod üblich. Was heute nicht mehr üblich ist, aber bei Astleys Programmen oft im Zentrum stand und sich das 19. Jahrhundert hindurch hielt, sind die sogenannten Hippodramen, eine Art Pantomime mit zumeist historischen Handlungen. Häufig waren Schlachtengemälde. Die Szenarien schrieb der populäre Theaterautor Charles Dibdin. Sie hatten großen Einfluss auf das Melodram des 19. Jahrhunderts. 1772 wurde Astley vom französischen König Louis XV. zu einer Vorstellung nach Versailles eingeladen. Seinen Theaterbau Astley's Amphitheatre eröffnete er 1773 in London. Nach einem Brand im September 1794 wurde er durch Astley's Royal Amphitheatre ersetzt, in dem zum Ring noch eine Bühne hinzutrat. Astley gründete 1782 auch den ersten Zirkus in Paris, den er Amphitheatre Anglais nannte. In der Folgezeit eröffnete er 18 weitere Zirkusse in anderen europäischen Städten.
  • Philip Astley est un célèbre écuyer anglais qui fonda au XVIII siècle le cirque moderne en donnant une place prépondérante au dressage équestre dans son spectacle.
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  • Philip Astley is regarded as the "father of the modern circus. " He was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme in England and his father was a cabinetmaker. At the age of nine, he apprenticed to work with his father, but Astley's dream was to work with horses, so he joined Colonel Eliott's Fifteenth Light Dragoon Regiment when he was 17, later becoming a Sergeant Major. He also served in the Seven Years War, and his army service brought him into contact with professional trainers and horse riders.
  • Philip Astley ist der Begründer des modernen Zirkus. Zirkus ging aus der Pferdedressur hervor, deshalb wurden die Zirkusleute im 19. Jahrhundert oft "englische Reiter" genannt. Astleys Vater war Schreiner und wollte seinem Sohn dieses Handwerk weitergeben, doch Philip zog es vor, mit Pferden zu arbeiten.
  • Philip Astley est un célèbre écuyer anglais qui fonda au XVIII siècle le cirque moderne en donnant une place prépondérante au dressage équestre dans son spectacle.
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  • Philip Astley
  • Philip Astley
  • Philip Astley
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