Hannah Cryle, a highly decorated circus artist, completed her first of many international tours in 2015 with her solo street theatre show celebrating strong mothers, The Big Wheel Show. Now, she tours both nationally and internationally, entertaining audiences of all sizes—with her children, Asher and Juno by her side.

Since graduating from NICA, Hannah has been touring and performing for over a decade. When faced with the soul-crushing choice of being away from her kids or not touring, she chose neither. And with the exception of a short break in 2019, when she became a mother, Hannah has been on the road ever since.

Asher and Junos life is every kid’s dream. Asher the eldest, has attended incredible events all over the world with rides and kids’ areas. And, when she feels like it, gets to help with the intro or crowd warm-ups during street shows. Hannah fondly recalls a time when “[Asher] was little, we would sit her in suitcases while we did street shows. When she was learning to speak, she would say ‘check check one two.’ Asher didn’t know for the longest time that not all people have a show, because both of her parents have shows.”

Despite these precious moments, touring with children doesn’t come without sacrifice. Hannah is always firing on all cylinders—when the shows end, parents on tour must dive right back into parenting. It’s not just physically exhausting, but emotionally draining as well. “It’s awful being on tour when your kids are unhappy. You make plans, but sometimes what you thought was going to work just doesn’t.” Little humans are just that—humans. When plans fall apart and Asher isn’t happy, Hannah adapts and changes things on the fly.

Hannah offers this advice to those considering life on the road with children: “For those who don’t have kids—don’t make plans you can’t get out of. You don’t know your kids until you meet them. They might be the sort who love it, or they might be sensitive to change—struggling with new sleeping environments, diets, or health issues—and that would be challenging. Parent the kid that’s in front of you.”

Hannah’s commitment to her career and family is a testament to balance. While it’s not always easy, she’s found a way to keep her passion alive while creating a unique, adventurous childhood for Asher and Juno. Through adaptability and resilience, she continues to prove that the worlds of parenting and performing can coexist—on and off stage.

Published 5 December 2024

 Learn more about Hannah here