The Big Top / Ice Arena

[s_g_k]

I couldn’t find a specific thread discussing The Big Top so I thought I’d create one!

Growing up in the 90s, The Big Top and Ice Arena formed a big part of my childhood visits to the park and was certainly where the “magic” was for me. I still think it’s a great shame that this was removed, but I can’t find any information on why?

I was also looking at the footprint of the arena, which if I am correct is now taken up by the Big Fun Showtime area in CBeebies Land, however as a child I have memories of the Ice Arena being absolutely massive and kitted out for full scale major productions. Perhaps it was my little childhood eyes or my nostalgic memories distorting reality.

I’ve only managed to find photos of the stage area and it’s difficult to put any size perspective on this without seeing pictures of the whole arena. When you entered the arena, was there any vestibule area or did you enter straight from outside into the arena? I vaguely remember a small corridor themed to entering through a tree. Any pictures would be great to see!

Does anyone else miss this magical old place?

 

[JAperson]

I know the ice arena was located where big fun showtime is now but where was the big top? I'm actually not sure exactly where it was.

 

[s_g_k]

I think the big top was in Ingestre centre before it moved and became the ice arena?

 

[Hew878787]

Who doesn’t love a big top.

 

[AT86]

I also have very fond memories of the Ice Shows, they always featured in our visits to the park from Henry Hound, Peter Rabbit, Webmaster and Circus of Illusion. It is such a shame they got rid of them.

In terms of the big top itself there were actually two over the years, both in the same location (where Big Fun Show Time is now), I actually think the first tent was originally used for Circus shows and was situated somewhere around where the Towers St Skyride station is today, before it was moved to create the Ice shows. The original came to the end of its life and was replaced in 2002, you can see a few pictures here of the replacement arena being built:

http://www.rudienosdesign.com/alton-towers-ice-show.html

From memory the 2002 set up was a smaller scale than the previous arena but still had a large rink with rows of seating.

The entrance was themed to a tree and was built as part of Storybook Land in 1996 when the Peter Rabbit show was on, so it was a loose nod to entering through a rabbit burrow into the show.

The entrance is now the way in to the CBeebies Photo studio, there aren’t many pictures about but here is the best before/after shots I could find:

In terms of its demise I think there were lots of factors at play, the cost of it wouldn’t have helped, in last ran in 2005 and this was the era of DIC Tussauds where costs were cut all over the place, but I think the Noise Abatement Order was the final nail in the coffin. Since the arena was placed very close to the park boundary and the order essentially meant that no noise should be heard from outside the park the sound system for the show had to be turned right down midway through 2005 to the point that it majorly impacted the experience. So I think at that point it became an easy target to get rid of the shows.

 

[jon81uk]

I think as well this was one area where the IP was crucial, once Peter Rabbit stopped they just didn't manage to put on a show that was as good again. Barney and then The Tweenies in the Cred St theatre took over as the main show in the park really. Webmaster wasn't that good and the magic show didn't make the most of being on ice.
They needed an IP really to keep the ice show as popular as it was in the Peter Rabbit heydays.

I think the Big Fun Showtime area should have kept more of a tent so it could be used in all weather better, the covered area currently looks a bit small. But it is definitly busier than it was!

 

[Alsty]

I used to enjoy the Webmaster show. Thought it was a nice break after lunch before hitting the rides again. Before that I have vague memories as a child of the Peter Rabbit show. I remember being mesmorised by the costumes. Jeremy Fisher was my personal favourite.

At the time it closed in the 2000s I was told that the structure was unsound and that is why it was removed. I'm not sure if that's true but it sounds credible.

 

[Squiggs]

I think the big top was in Ingestre centre before it moved and became the ice arena?

Indeedy, it was moved to make way for a new maintenance building, when the backstage area around Magic HQ was developed.

They needed an IP really to keep the ice show as popular as it was in the Peter Rabbit heydays.

I'm not so sure it was the IP itself that drove the popularity - there was a large amount of talented professionals within a much larger ents team at the time that churned out good quality shows, both IP and non-IP. That department got massively scaled back during that period and with it went the quality of the park's entertainment.

 

[AT86]

At the time it closed in the 2000s I was told that the structure was unsound and that is why it was removed. I'm not sure if that's true but it sounds credible

That’s an interesting theory, haven’t heard that one before. By the time it closed in 2005 it was only three years old having been replaced in 2002 so I would be surprised if that was the case, but I’m sure stranger things have happened.

 

[Squiggs]

I believe the structure was unsound by the time the tent was removed in 2013, but that was after nearly a decade without any work. When it closed, it was just cost-cutting.

Indeedy, it was moved to make way for a new maintenance building, when the backstage area around Magic HQ was developed.

You can see the original Big Top in its original (or there about) position in this pic from the TS archives, where it is nestled into the Skyride buildings. Its entrance would have been directly behind Heave Ho today.

 

[jon81uk]

I'm not so sure it was the IP itself that drove the popularity - there was a large amount of talented professionals within a much larger ents team at the time that churned out good quality shows, both IP and non-IP. That department got massively scaled back during that period and with it went the quality of the park's entertainment.

I agree it was a talented set of performers but it went from Peter Rabbit, to Webmaster, to Magic On Ice. So its hard to work out if the quality of the show was the issue or the IP. Webmaster was a strange show and I didn't feel like it had the family appear that Peter Rabbit did. I guess they tried for an older audience as they already had Barney and then Tweenies offering a pre-school age show in the early 2000s.
Think its a bit chicken-and-egg, was Peter Rabbit just more popular or was Webmaster poor quality.I think its both. Not sure its even budget cuts that made it poor but just not the best concept, a huge budget can't make a bad script better!

 

[s_g_k]

I can’t really remember the Peter Rabbit show all that much but I do remember the shows from Webmaster onwards, in particular the Spooktacular on Ice show, which if my memory serves me correct relied heavily on theatre effects to disguise the questionable singing.

 

[JAperson]

I've said for a while but bringing some form of large scales shows like the ones shown in the big top and ice arena would be really good for the park. It would give them more variety and would help bring queue times for the rides down too.

 

[jon81uk]

I've said for a while but bringing some form of large scales shows like the ones shown in the big top and ice arena would be really good for the park. It would give them more variety and would help bring queue times for the rides down too.

They have made progress in this area, the shows may not be as big as the old ones around the 2000s, but they had several different Sir Alegenon based shows on the stage on the lawns last year.

 

[JAperson]

They have made progress in this area, the shows may not be as big as the old ones around the 2000s, but they had several different Sir Alegenon based shows on the stage on the lawns last year.

I agree that it's going in the right direction but I think having a permenant indoor venue would be indeal for the park, something for families to do when it's raining. I think that may well the parks eventually plan as they'e only got permission for the temporary stage for 4 years or whatever it is. Anyway we're going a little of topic here but I did originally start discussing this (with no response) a while ago in this thread: https://towersstreet.com/talk/threads/entertainment-future.5630/#post-341003

 

[jon81uk]

I agree that it's going in the right direction but I think having a permenant indoor venue would be indeal for the park, something for families to do when it's raining. I think that may well the parks eventually plan as they'e only got permission for the temporary stage for 4 years or whatever it is. Anyway we're going a little of topic here but I did originally start discussing this (with no response) a while ago in this thread: https://towersstreet.com/talk/threads/entertainment-future.5630/#post-341003

Hopefully they will move the shows into the theatre at some point. It made sense last year to be outdoors due to covid.
But yes long-term they should just re-open the Cred St theatre.

 

[Ben]

I only ever saw one show in here and it was a winter weekend in 2004 (I guess) it was frankly poor, I think 2 skaters fell over. Then in anticipation of Rita opening the following season we were treated to a video of Xcelerator at Knotts Berry but played in reverse. I was so confused.