This circular crossword was nicely themed but certainly necessitated some research to confirm the names produced by the extra words. The title referred to the three ring circus. The sixth ring gave JULES LEOTARD, one of the earliest trapeze artists and the fourth ring gave the name of the venue of his debut, CIRQUE NAPOLEON IN PARIS. The initial letters of extra words were all trapeze artists (Emmett Lee) KELLY, (Gustavo) FRATELLINI, (Tom) MAJOR (father of the British PM), (the) CODONAS, (the) CONCELLOS, (Tito) GAONA and (Harry) HOUDINI. The second ring gave the names of other circus acts.
Extra words are underlined.
RADIALS (6 letters)
1 Conflict is overcome by James returning Kenyan Home Rule
SWARAJ WAR in JAS reversed
2 Electric shock ship director
JARMAN JAR + MAN
3 Enlivens law about legal drug
JUICES ICE in JUS
4 Drunk lady travelling judge's in charge for good
JUICED IC for G in anagram JUDGE
5 Mash us bananas and yoghurt drink
SHAMUS Anagram MASH US
6 Pulls fruit around my straws
HAULMS M (my) in HAULS
7 Rodent research ultimately produces success
RESULT RES + ult
8 Extreme characters involved in unlawful antihunt terror activities
ULTRAS First and last letters UnlawfuL TerroR ActivitieS; & lit.
9 Tedious church vocal work
CHORAL CH + ORAL
10 Learning about a hard city environment
LAHORE A H (hard) in LORE
11 Northern tidal surge hits lesser Albania
BOREAL BORE + AL
12 Latvian mob's device for stirring molten iron
RABBLE 2 definitions
13 Intimate search organised for dead tissue
ESCHAR Anagram SEARCH
14 She-cat alarmed does nothing
CHEATS Anagram SHE-CAT
15 Taint hexapod with infinite force for entropy
INFECT INSECT (hexapod) with F (force) for S (entropy)
16 Mozart's finished note's conditional
FINITE FINI + TE
17 Shining Aussie comedian coming to an unknown end
STARRY STARR (ref. Freddie Starr) + Y
18 She's confused about art game avoiding certain judicial tricks
HEARTS Anagram SHE containing ART
19 Good fortune about obscure question for mill servants' allowance
SEQUEL QU (question) in SEEL
20 Suitable to bribe referee honestly
SQUARE 3 definitions
21 To rule out copper vessel used in purification
ELUTOR Anagram To RULE
22 Old ostrich dance date scowled
LOURED LOURE (dance) + D
23 Test or dental treatment
ORDEAL OR + DEAL
24 Man had swallowed orange drink which was hidden
HEALED ALE in HE’D
25 Nuclear weapon held by Simon, a German
ONAGER Hidden
26 Old Algerian, open country fruit
ORANGE O (old) + RANGE
27 Seven volunteer soldiers sell warp thread in Rome
STAMEN S (seven) + TA + MEN (see etymology)
28 The French camel hair backed coat
ENAMEL LE + MANE )reversed)
29 Mate's electron orbit counter
OPPOSE OPPO’S + E
30 Brutal Nicaraguan dictator revoking execution? (two words)
POL POT TOP LOP reversed
31 Lead content reduced in refined rock
OOLITE POLITE with leading letter lower alphabetically
32 Ecstatic jumper carries back a large amount of weight
ROTOLO LOT reversed in ROO
33 Gift of 57.33 Lebanese pounds
TALENT 2 definitions
34 Sister Lily conceals dead woodlouse
SLATER LATE in SR (sister)
35 Fool's derisive remark about Saint Oswald
JESTER ST in JEER
36 Cleanest old Swedish city has pest infestation? On the contrary
PUREST UR in PEST
37 Rodent destroying quiet of greenish marsh moths, going back and forth
MARMOT MAR(SH) MOT(HS) less SH (quiet) in both directiona
38 Aunt's brother's in America with Australian trees
ABROMA BRO in AM + A (Australian)
39 Outdoor game girl's lizard
GOANNA GO + ANNA
40 Superior title not related mostly to me
AGNAME AGNA(te) + ME
41 Arabian gold gives Scots revels
ORGIES OR (gold) + GIES (Gives in Scottish)
42 Precipitation, by the hilarious sound of it, prevails
REIGNS Homophone RAINS
43 Two old kings seen around a partition
SKREEN K + R (kings) in SEEN
44 Is this ugly person more enthusiastically rueful?
KEENER 2 definitions
45 Bring into use lower classes dance manoeuvre
DEPLOY D + E (lower classes) + PLOY
46 Irish poet's edition examined
SCOPED SCOP (poet) + ED
47 Implacable lady editor's never upset
DEADLY Anagram LADY ED
48 Drunken condition when full of interesting slugs
LOADED 2 definitions
SECOND RING
1 Summit that precedes strike
ACROBAT ACRO + BAT
2 Canadian National surrounds hill
CLOWN LOW in C + N
3 Fir tree arranged around river
FIRE-EATER Anagram FIR TREE containing EA
4 Indian cash in digs
HORSES RS (rupees) in HOES
5 Dimwit given new start
JUMBO DUMBO with new 1st letter
6 Charged particle in Lesotho
LIONS ION in LS
7 Rich monarch?
MONKEY K (king) in MONEY!
8 Good luck society
SEALS SEAL (SELE) + S