Last night, around 800 spectators braved below-normal temperatures to see the opening night of the 2002 Tarzan Zerbini Circus.

The night kicked off without a hitch, and I'm sure to the organisers' relief, there were no animal rights activists on hand to protest the planned four-day event.

The idea of a circus coming to the Island, while exciting, had me a little sceptical of whether local organisers DNA Productions was going to pull off such an event - especially after I saw what appeared to be a too-small arena for elephants to perform in.

But those thoughts were soon put to rest as I was greeted by squeals of delight of adults and children alike traipsing around the centre ring on the backs of the performance elephants before the show began.

At first the crowd was sparse, but by the time the lights dimmed, it had tripled and everyone was ready for what Tarzan Zerbini had to offer.

After a delightful - albeit brief - light show, ring master Richard Curtis amazed the crowd with a disappearing act which left the crowd wondering what happened to his wife. If anyone can figure out how that trick was pulled off, give me a call because I would love to know.

Russian aerial gymnast Svetlana performed beautifully, although at one point it looked as if she took a tumble too many as she unwound from the largest pair of curtains I've ever seen. Nevertheless, this woman was amazing. She had the crowd in awe during her second performance of the show, where she displayed such upper body strength.

One question though. How can you juggle while doing a handstand without the blood rushing to your head?

There were other performances which kept the crowd captivated like the trapeze artists from Columbia who ran, jumped and skipped across a high wire and - in one moment - caused the crowd to gasp in shock when one of them almost fell to the ground; the cute little puppies who jumped through hoops and got so excited that one of them almost landed in a spectator's lap, and I would be remiss if I failed to mention the oh-so-loveable Poppy the Clown.

But the highlights of the show for me were the elephants and the Circle of Death.

No matter how many elephants you see on television, it does not prepare you for their enormity in real-life. These huge, but adorable animals were so well-trained you couldn't help but be amazed. I must admit, I was a little nervous that one of them might try to run for it since there were no barriers separating them and the crowd, but they seemed to be the gentlest creatures one could set their eyes upon. Their trainer, 18-year-old Anthony Zerbini did a fantastic job with them.

What can I say about the Circle of Death, but "Wow!". Go and see for yourself.

All in all, I was impressed with the circus. It was an excellent show which I felt gave us finicky Bermudians a good value for our dollar. Oh, speaking of dollars, when you go to see the circus, line your pockets because prices are a little steep. And layer up, because it is COLD under the big top.

Carla Zuill