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Newcastle Herald

Anna Falkenmire

Behind the scenes: meet the matriarch of a circus dynasty

Peter Lorimer Newcastle

Jan Lennon, 79, is the "mother, grandmother and great-grandmother" of the Stardust Circus. Picture by Peter Lorimer

The colour and action at Stardust Circus in Newcastle, which is running until April 28. Picture by Peter Lorimer

Everyone at the circus takes on many roles. Picture by Peter Lorimer

Izabella West-Hellowell, 2, is Jan Lennon's great-granddaughter. Picture by Peter Lorimer

Jan Lennon, 79, has been part of the circus for more than 60 years. Picture by Peter Lorimer

Jan Lennon, 79, works with three generations of her family at Stardust Circus. Picture by Peter Lorimer

Jan Lennon, 79, at Stardust Circus at Newcastle's Richardson Park. Picture by Peter Lorimer

JAN Lennon is the matriarch of a circus dynasty.

The 79-year-old is the "mother, grandmother and great-grandmother" of most of the performers at a family operation set up in Newcastle's Richardson Park until April 28.

Four generations of her family are more at home on the road with Stardust Circus than anywhere else.

"I have seven kids, 22 grandkids and eight great grandkids, and 95 per cent of them are in the circus," she said.

Mrs Lennon has been in the circus for more than six decades - some of it spent doing aerial work, performing a comedy act on a horse, training animals and now watching the new generations take flight.

Years ago, the circus had lions, monkeys and elephants.

"I bottle-fed cubs in my caravan for about 10 years," she said.

More than 20 years ago, one of the circus' two lions was booked to work on a movie in Melbourne, where part of the plot was to stage a lion escape.

Unfortunately the lion really did escape when it prowled onto the set and couldn't see its mate.

"So he went up and over the top of this green screen, you've never seen anything like it, and down and out. He was out, really," Mrs Lennon said.

The lion was captured when he wandered into an open trailer looking for his home, Mrs Lennon said.

The days of travelling with exotic animals are now over, but Mrs Lennon said her son and son-in-law had shared a special bond with lions.

"They've all got part of something they're really good at," she said.

The team is always working on new acts and has to take on other jobs at the circus too.

"There's no bludgers in this place," Mrs Lennon said.

Four generations of performers work with Stardust Circus, which is at Newcastle's Richardson Park until April 28. Pictures by Peter Lorimer

"They work the rides, they work the jumping castle, they work the canteen, they work the ticket box, everyone does everything."

Mrs Lennon's first husband, and his father, were circus men too. Her second husband also came from a long line of circus folk.

She was left with seven kids and their small circus to run - West Family Circus - when her husband tragically died at age 50.

"And later on, I married Lindsay Lennon from Lennon Brothers circus," she said.

Mr Lennon and Mrs Lennon joined forces 35 years ago and Stardust Circus was later born in 1993.

Mrs Lennon has so many stories from days gone by that she's slowly penning a book.

"Every time I think of something, I have to go write it down, because there's been some funny things over the years," she said.

"I think we've had to get a bit more professional - in the old days it was sort of a bit rough and ready."

Now it's the younger generations that have the new ideas - like buying a coffee and snow cone cart - and Mrs Lennon only has to step in to overrule anything "real ridiculous".

Stardust Circus usually sets up camp for three or four weeks at a time, and the crew is on the road for up to 11 months a year.

"There's no average day, everything's always different," Mrs Lennon said.

During COVID they were off the road for more than a year, and spent four months at Rosehill racecourse after a snap lockdown mid-show.

They've done seven laps of Australia over the years, but have cut back to more local shows amid rising diesel costs.

Stardust Circus is performing two-hour shows for 700 people at a time in Newcastle until April 28.

The colourful performances feature acrobatics, rope walking, aerial trapeze artists, clowns and fire-breathing. Trained dogs, horses, pigs and goats also feature. Mrs Lennon said she had grown up around animals and they were loved and cared for by the performers.

At almost 80, she has no plans to retire.

"What would I do?" she joked.

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