Both were released in Japan with different main characters. From mobygames.com:
Pandemonium 2 and its prequel, Pandemonium!, were released in Japan as Magical Hoppers 2 and Magical Hoppers, respectively. The biggest changes in the Japanese version included brand new main characters and slightly (more like subtle) different stage layouts.

I'm almost certain it's not Pandemonium, and I distinctly remember the game having a dos version. It's almost as if I'm thinking of a mix between Pandemonium and Alone in the Dark, but set in a dark circus, or something.

one last *bump*
I've just went over my old pc gaming magazines from 1998 (earliest ones I still have) and their CDs, but couldn't find a trace of the game. If someone can't guess it, I think I'll try downloading old gaming magazines from 1997 or so. PC Zone magazines especially were packed to the brim with content.

Random guess, but the description made me think of "The Kristal" and "Universe" for some unknown subconscious reason.

The closest I managed to find was the game adaptation of The City of Lost Children, which probably isn't the one you're looking for, either.

On an unrelated note, I stumbled across a rather peculiar adventure game called "Bazooka Sue", which features "the only half-female, half-swine protagonist besides Miss Piggy". I'll just let that speak for itself.

Most of the purple was in the scenery, but other than that your description reminds me of Tony Tough & the Night of the Roasted Moths

here's a trailer for it

I was thinking Noctropolis (BRING IT to GOG already!!! AHHH!!!) as well. Normality maybe?

Ecstatica or the sequel?

Edit:

Linky: http://www.mobygames.com/game/estatica

It's gloomy, the female avatar has purple clothing, and kind of looks like Alone in the Dark meets Pandemonium.
No circus that I recall though...

Night Dive Studios have the rights to Noctropolis and "have something special planned for you guys", whatever (and whenever) that is. I hope it's not some godawful remake that breaks more things than fixes.

https://www.facebook.com/NightDiveStudios/posts/534549540020471?reply_comment_id=534632203345538&total_comments=3

Holy balls, this must be it! I can remember that for years after I played the demo, I knew the name of the game, so I was quite certain that I would recognize the name the minute I saw it, and your post immediately hit my square in the face. Also, because I wasn't positive about it, I was afraid to mention that the name of the game started with, or contained, a 'Q'.

Apart from that I quickly recognized the player character. For some reason though, I thought he had purple clothing, but I must have confused that with the game's logo/cover. I don't know where the circus/themepark thing fits in, whether that was somehow connected with the demo level, or my mind warping the memory after so many years.

Thank you very much!! I was honestly intent on (internet)digging up old gaming magazines to look for this game, or to gradually work myself through all adventure games that had dos releases.

Yepyep! I hope it is not any sort of remaster/remake at all. All I want is for them to have made it widescreen compatible and upgraded to higher-res video files than what was in the original game (taken from the source and "remastered" that way, not re-shot or anything.) I will be hugely disappointed if they muss with it.

SO glad Matewis found his game, that is great! Well done! It's such a good feeling!