‘I nearly said no to circus tickets – but they changed my daughter’s life’

Scrolling Facebook one Saturday morning, mum Sian Griffiths spotted that someone was giving away a couple of free circus tickets.

‘They had posted that they couldn’t make it any more and didn’t want them to go to waste,’ she tells Metro.

While most parents would have jumped at the chance of getting their hands on the free tickets, Sian was a little hesitant.

The single mum wasn’t sure if her young daughter would actually enjoy the noise and commotion that came with a circus.

Sian had first spotted Freya’s aversion to certain sensory things after she began weaning her as a baby.

‘She used to eat everything, but then around 14 months old, she just suddenly stopped.

She barely ate anything and didn’t want to drink her milk,’ remembers Sian.

‘Then Freya began crying when we were out, saying “too loud”.

By the time she was nearly two she didn’t even like going into crowds or busy places.’
Suspecting her daughter could be on the autistic spectrum, Sian spoke with a health visitor and eventually a local charity offering advice on neurodivergence, who referred Freya to a pediatric team.

As the toddler was meeting all her milestones, they quickly ruled out autism, adding that she was too young to be diagnosed with ADHD.

However, Sian was convinced this wasn’t a phase that her daughter would simply grow out of – which is why when she saw the Facebook post about the circus tickets, she felt unsure what to do.

Yearning for her daughter to enjoy the same experiences as other children, she decided to do a bit of research and discovered that Circus Starr was a touring act that provides neurodivergent-friendly performances.

As they watched the ringmistress wearing a white and gold sparkly outfit as she foot-juggled an umbrella, Sian could tell her daughter was enjoying every second.

‘It was the first place where Freya could completely be herself,’ she remembers.

‘She loved it so much that she stood up, jumping around and dancing.

She kept shouting and waving, but none of the staff asked her to stop.’
The show was such a hit that Sian has applied for tickets every year since, and taken her daughter to various venues across the city so she can experience the magic again.

Freya, now five, has since been diagnosed with hypersensitivity disorder – a neurological condition where the brain over-responds to sensory input such as light, sound, touch, and smell.

Since her diagnosis in 2024, Sian has learned to adapt to her daughter’s world.

‘My family have helped – for example, my parents buy food they know Freya will eat for their house,’ Sian explains.

‘I usually take her out at quieter times of the day and she wears ear defenders, which really help when louder spaces can’t be avoided.’
Sian says the circus has also helped with Freya’s confidence.

‘It’s really made her come out of her shell.

I can tell with her eyes and little smile that she is so happy when she’s there.’
One of Freya’s favourite performers is Mariska Gandey, a fourth-generation entertainer.

Her great-grandfather Bob set up Gandey’s Circus in 1918, which was passed down to her grandfather Joe and eventually her dad, Phillip, who started performing at the age of three.

Though she started juggling as a hobby at seven, it wasn’t until her father and mother, Carol, had the idea for Circus Starr when she was 21, that Mariska knew she wanted to take to perform professionally.

Having studied circus directing, 28-year-old Mariska is now just as integral behind the scenes as she is on stage, working as the Creative Director and ringmistress, touring across 75 venues a year with the group.

In 2010 Circus Starr decided to become a not-for-profit community interest company, giving 100% of ticket sales to local support groups and organisastions.

Today they operate as a charity, relying completely on donations to keep going.

While they always had a clear mission in mind ‘to make live entertainment accessible to people who might otherwise miss out,’ in 2015 the show decided to focus on the needs of disabled and neurodivergent children.

‘To create a relaxed atmosphere, we have music at a low volume and sensory productions within the performance.

We have BSL signing and mobile changing places for people with disabilities,’ explains Mariska.

When it comes to booking acts, there is also a’certain criteria’ they like to follow.

‘A lot of other circuses have motorbikes, or big wheel acts.

We don’t want anything that’s going to be over stimulating or interfering with the atmosphere that we’re trying to create,’ Mariska explains.

SCOPE AWARDS 2026

Metro is proud to be the official media partner of 2026 Scope Awards, taking place on 30 April 2026.

The ceremony at London's Kia Oval will be hosted by wheelchair basketball athlete and broadcaster Ade Adepitan and celebrate the work disabled people and organisations are doing to bring about important change.

There are 38 nominees for the nine Scope Awards, where unsung heroes, amazing achievements and the incredible accolades of the disabled community are being honoured.

The shortlist includes: Celebrity Role Model, Colleague Network, Community Group, Customer Inclusion, Local Service, Media Moment, Purple Pioneer, Social Media Influencer and Workplace Champion.

‘We also don’t use any fire, or water, or anything that would go out into the audience.

A few years ago we had a clown who would spray water, and then we were told that had triggered some sensory issues, so we stopped it.

We’re constantly looking for feedback and evolving every year.

‘However, there has to be some form of adrenaline as people come to the circus to see excitement, so I look for great characters that can do something fun and lively.’
Ticket-holders can also apply for a sensory pack before the show.

‘It contains a sequin cloth, which is the type of fabric used in a performer’s costume, a light film so the children can look through it and see how the light will look, and they get a photo of everyone performing.

‘It acclimatises kids to the experience before they arrive, so there’s no shock or surprises.

I often sit with a child for a couple of minutes before the show starts, and run them through what to expect.’
As a result of their impact on families across the UK, Circus Starr has been shortlisted in the Local Service category in the Scope awards, which Metro are proud to partner with.

‘A lot of the families attending probably wouldn’t be able to go and watch any other live entertainment, so this may be the one show they are able to see all year, which is pretty amazing,’ adds Mariska.

‘The audience is probably my favourite thing about Circus Starr.’