Hi everyone

I’m going to be visiting Italy and I’m doing a workaway with a small Italian circus.
They visit towns and perform for kids. I’m only traveling with a carry on so I don’t have a lot of space at all.

I wanted to perhaps brainstorm ideas around what would pack SUPER small, play big and be able to be done mostly silent as I don’t speak the language.

Any ideas or tips for this sort of thing? I did check the death bar but wanted a bit of an update around this sort of question.

Thank you!

Silk.

-Mary Mowder

The Bobo Handshake Gag is very funny and needs no or nearly no words.

Coin pail can be performed with a small cup and some coins.

Maybe you can afford to order some little and inexpensive tricks in Italy like break-away-wand and later give those tricks away to somebody who likes magic.

Good luck!

The acrobatic rope might be a natural for a show like yours. How about a paper hat trick and breaking fan?

Gerry

Ever try the 'snap' in a lunch bag- -holding a lunch bag with pointer and middle finger inside -thumb on out side - snap the two inside fingers(middle over pointer) sounds like something dropped into the bag- -can have several ?? inside bag to pour out into hand - Understand?? -I Hope. Ralph & Anna (russo)Rousseau -- P.S. Wifes family from Naples

Ring and Rope magic

T & R Newspaper or Gypsy thread.

Productions or Transformations done in a visual style.

Watch video of your show with the sound off. What ever still works is a good candidate.

Daniel's suggestion of coin pail was GREAT!

-Mary Mowder

Sponge Balls

How did you EVER find a circus owner who would book a person who had no act???????

In my 70 years in the business, magic, and CIRCUS, I've NEVER heard of such a thing. I've heard of owners booking a "one trick pony", but NEVER a "non trick pony".

To create an ACT, one does not learn some TRICKS, or accumulate some PROPS, and then PERFORM an ACT, using those TRICKS, or those PROPS. "Those who think that magic consists of doing tricks, are strangers to magic. Tricks are only the crude residue from which the lifeblood of magic has been drained," --S.H. Sharpe

Even little one ring mud shows, must have COLOR, and FLASH, and good solid ACTS!

How long will this act need to run?

Now, what in #$%$ is a "death bar"???

I've been performing the Misers Dream since 1946. I have used everything from a Champagne glass, to a ten quart water pail. I DOUBT whether you could survive doing it with a tin cup. What Italian coins would you use?

So! What sort of magic act do you want to PRODUCE, and PERFORM?

What sort of wardrobe and/or make up will this act need?

How will you COMMUNICATE? Are you a mime?

"I've been performing the Misers Dream since 1946. I have used everything from a Champagne glass, to a ten quart water pail. I DOUBT whether you could survive doing it with a tin cup."

Dick maybe have a look at page 176 of Samual Patrick Smiths "Big Laughs with little people". Sammy uses a plastic tumbler for his misers dream routine "Cash Surprises". This was what I had in mind.

Daniel! I know Sammy Smith. I've seen his lecture. He has done a nice job with the Linking Ring (magazine). I'll PM you about the coin pail, etc.

Have you SEEN Sammy DO the MD?

No Dick I just read Sammys MD-routine in his book.

Hey Dick

Thanks for your suggestions.
It’s a very small circus that performs for young children at schools etc. I’m staying with the lady who runs it for a week or two while on holiday. I’m not really required to do magic to stay with them, but since I’m a a magician I offered to. My girlfriend and I are backpacking to Europe and I can’t take my kids act because it uses too many props. I haven’t performed in a non-English speaking country before, so I wanted some suggestions on routines that can pack light and work without speaking. Sorry if my original post confused you
I’m quite excited, should be lots of fun.

Spongeballs from mouth, multiplying bananas, circus style clown skits, visual gags.

Do you have the option to play music as you perform? Music can make up for talking in many cases. With good music and body language, any skillful manipulation will work.

How long a spot do you plan to fill? If I were asked to do 10-12 minutes of silent magic, I would start with sponge balls from mouth (yes, I know, but I would) or eggs from mouth. Then a rope routine (PNM), followed by color changing silk. The Misers Dream would close it out. If you buy a bucket in Italy, you need 3 sponges or eggs, a set of ropes, 2 silks, a DT, and a handful of coins. And a CD.

It is an interesting challenge.

Patrick

I'd look up Professor Cheer's Rope Routine, which can be performed silently and is of the proper attitude to be part of a circus performance.