For three months, Geneva Foster Gluck travelled around with a 300-strong Indian circus making seven pounds a day riding an elephant and performing six aerial shows. Footage shot during her experience forms the basis for Geneva’s latest performance piece, Milkwood Rodeo, which the 31-year-old will present as part of a double bill at Jackson’s Lane this week.

“It’s a three-dimensional production which uses live animation, voice over and aerial work to tell a traditional Indian fable about magic,” the American director of the Sugar Beast Circus company explains.

Completing the double bill is The Sugar Beast Circus Show, a cabaret style performance blending dance-theatre, burlesque, puppetry, animation, digital production and stunning rope and aerial work.

Geneva, who joined an underground street circus when she was 16, tells me: “We are presenting a really interesting combination of circus and experimental theatre, using new techniques in projection and I hope that people will feel it’s unique.”

A visual spectacular, the show features three young graduates from Circus Space who elegantly negotiate a set of miniature circus tents, demonstrate masterful skills on the hoop and ropes and endeavour to tame terrifying lions, grizzly bears and wild swans.

Inspired by the ethnological and menageries shows of the 1800s, Geneva’s research took her to the National Fairground Archive at The University of Sheffield.

“I wanted to combine this academic research history with the concept of showmanship,” the Central Saint Martins graduate reveals. “It explores the experience of the performer both as someone who wants to give into the world of make believe and fantasy, while also looking at the physical necessity of training, skill and danger and the balance between the artificial and the very real physical demands.”

The Sugar Beast Circus Show & Milkwood Rodeo, runs until Saturday, September 19, 8pm. Tickets: 020 8341 4421, www.jacksonslane.org.uk (£12.50-£14.40)