Circus Playhouse & Food Emporium (fictional)

Circus Playhouse & Food Emporium is a family entertainment center (FEC) chain that is part of Carwardine Parks' Family Entertainment Center Division. It is currently headquartered at Carwardine Dept. 3 in alongside Carwardine's other FEC chains.

History
When Circus Playhouse and Tex Critter's Pizza Jamboree were bought by Carwardine Parks of in 1984, AVG (the makers of the original sets of animatronics for both chains as well as the Bullfrog Bayou Revue shows featured at some Carwardine parks) complained that their creative control was jeopardized, as Carwardine had discovered how to program the characters (by reverse-engineering the programming data from AVG's showtapes for the Forest Owls Show at Carwardine Corners) and hired new voice actors to replicate the original voices, allowing them to make changes to the shows and make their own shows for Tex Critter's, Circus Playhouse and other AVG shows at Carwardine properties. Carwardine returned the recording rights to AVG in early 1987 after catching wind of AVG's Fourth of July showtape distributed by AVG for free to Circus Playhouse locations, but did not return the programming rights.

A system developed by fellow region-based company AHF Animation Productions named ElectroMotion was installed in all Circus Playhouse and Tex Critter's locations from 1988-89.

AVG chose to leave the programming rights deal for Circus Playhouse and Tex Critter's in 1996, citing the high costs of producing multiple shows a year, thus Carwardine returned to recording the showtapes for both chains in-house. Eliza Delamare, a Hampton Roads region native, was hired to cast the new voice actors while also voicing Circus Playhouse's Lola Leopard.

Current Cast

 * Tyrone Stoch - Lionel Lion (2010-present)
 * Duke Rowell - Tex S. Tiger, Gerry the Giraffe (1996-2007, 2009-present)
 * Eliza Delamare - Lola Leopard (1996-present)
 * Thomas Hogenkamp - Barney Bear (1996-present)
 * Clay Bergier - Charlie Chimp (2003-present)
 * Kristy Keller - Ellie Elephant (2016-present)

1980s Carwardine Showtapes (1985-1986)

 * Davide Ayris - Lionel Lion
 * Marv Simpleton - Tex S. Tiger
 * Babs Eliasberg - Lola Leopard, Ellie Elephant
 * Thomas Hogenkamp - Barney Bear
 * Mart Janků - Charlie Chimp
 * Alex Venema - Gerry the Giraffe

Carwardine Showtapes (1996-present)

 * Alex Carwardine - Lionel Lion (1996-2010), Charlie Chimp (1996-2003)
 * Dan DeForest - Tex S. Tiger, Gerry the Giraffe (2007-2008)
 * Caroline Woodcock - Ellie Elephant (1996-2016)