Darwin Ortiz said that in the best magic shows all the tricks will follow some central theme.
In a street show, how important is a theme?
Does anyones street show follow one theme?
thanks.

The important thing is for an act to have unity.
Theme is simply one way of achieving unity.
I believe that for a busker/ variety performer character is more important than theme in creating a sense of unity.

Riff Raff is correct about character but I think that a theme helps. Harry Anderson use to have a central theme in his performances, three or four routines would circle the theme but things would all come together at the end...then the hat goes out.
Steve V

"He [Harry Anderson] contends that everything a performer does should not just be appropriate, it should be driven by character...Laymen never once came to see the Needle Through Arm trick. They came to see Harry Anderson perform Needle Through Arm." -- Wise Guy p. 159

I'll have to agree with that. People don't usually just come to see tricks. They come to see an act. An act requires a character.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Anderson was brilliant on the street. I remember seeing him in San Francisco mannny years ago (Amazing Jonathon later on). Great stuff.
Steve V

Riffraff and Bob
Generally folk won’t come to see a busker like a performer at the theater they are out doing something else like shopping and then they cross your path. One of the strongest weapons that a Busker has is curiosity if you can’t create curiosity then simply put, you will never make it as a street performer. My Character is key in this but I will lean on curiosity, in the same breath I will build up a trick.
The best question that can cross the layman’s mind as he watches you is this "what is he doing"? This needs to be feed and in perfect time meet.
Ask your self these questions.
Why do folk stop and watch a mumberling drunk in a town center?
Why do children gather to watch a school yard fight?
Why will you sit in a theater until the end of the show?
As the old saying goes "Curiosity killed the cat".
Mario