A behind-the-scenes look into the rise of a renowned modern Welsh circus.

What’s it really like to run away with a modern circus? Cardiff, Wales, 1983. A bunch of university dropouts and unemployed hippies find themselves united by two things: a talent for juggling and their hatred of Thatcher’s Britain. They decide it might be fun to juggle their way out of the rat race by founding a circus, which they call “NoFit State.” 

How does this group grow from its lowly origins as buskers on the city streets to become one of the most admired and respected contemporary circuses in the world? Stephen Glascoe, a member of NoFit State’s amateur community group “Splott State Circus,” takes us behind the scenes of the dramas, stresses, and joys of a radical modern circus. 

Based on in-depth interviews with the founders of the circus and many others who have been part of its history, Circus Rebels charts the challenges and triumphs of underdogs turned Welsh creative powerhouse.