Nights at the Circus is a novel by British writer Angela Carter, first published in 1984 and the winner of the 1984 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction. The novel focuses on the life and exploits of Sophie Fevvers, a woman who is – or so she would have people believe – a Cockney virgin, hatched from an egg laid by unknown parents and ready to develop fully fledged wings. At the time of the story, she has become a celebrated aerialiste. She captivates the young journalist Jack Walser, who runs away with the circus and falls into a world that his journalistic exploits had not prepared him to encounter.
Nights at the Circus incorporates multiple categories of fiction, including postmodernism, magical realism, and postfeminism. As in her previous works, Carter plays with many literary aspects and dissects the traditional fairy tale structure.
In 1994, the novel was broadcast by BBC Radio 4 as a series of readings. It was read by Lesley Manville, abridged by Neville Teller and directed by Neil Cargill.
In 2006, it was adapted for the stage by Tom Morris and Emma Rice for the Kneehigh Theatre Company. The play was performed at the Lyric Hammersmith in London and the Bristol Old Vic before touring.
