Hi Guys,
I want to start performing ventriloquist on the street like a busking,a little bit for money and more for practice - this is my idea, maybe it will change .
I already have dummy stylized regional village character, which matches with touristic town where I already live .
I have already prepared some jokes, short funny stories and I'm thinking about interaction with people which is a little bit hard ( it must be not only a good idea but also good timing)
this is a link to youtube if you wanna see the character:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHJ06Na8liI
(this is in polish -its a christmas song, new year's wishes and short talk about weather and hot wine)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_5xIjRSbb0 - shorter version in english
Now my animation of a dummy is much more better
I already working on the street like a street performer, but in a costume and in one of my character I speak with people.
Do you have advice, tips or any idea coming to your mind?
Thank you for any ideas

I brought my dog out by mistake during a busking set last summer. The reaction was so good I found the dog creeping into the act regularly. It went down well. I have no advice to offer, except the information that vent does work on the street. Best of luck with it.

Thanks Tony,

I appreciate your information.
best regards, greetings

Jaroslaw,
I do paid street and set up like a show. The city provides me with electric so I can run my sound, which is vital to vent so you can be heard. I rope off my performance area for the shows. If you are already doing some street you have probably seen that style set up for magicians, jugglers and fire eaters.

Interaction is extremely important to engage the crowd. If you find it hard, I can guarantee working the street is a way to improve since you can work on it over and over again to hone the bits. I highly recommend you read up on one-liners and store them in the back of your head. They come in handy sometimes!

Good luck,
Tom

Hello Tom,
I already have 2 amplifier's..
Thank you for your help . You gived a good and important information to me , thanks.
best regards, greetings

I can see street performing if you are a paid performer like Tom was, but I wonder if vent busking would ever work?

Sure it would Neale - but you need to create a solid street act with great hat lines and find an excellent pitch with friendly patrons. Street is an art to itself. A good street act can play anywhere - but a good "regular" act can find it extremely tough on the street.

Tom, do you do your entire act?

I have actually done this, both paid at festivals and on my own. I learned a few things I think are especially valuable for vents.

Probably the main thing I learned (the hard way) is; always control your props and equipment. In a real busking situation you are often on a city street. There are passers by and the pavement is hard and dirty. Henry fell off my case one of the first times I went out and I had to do emergency repairs on him. Now, once I get something new out, the prop I was using goes back in the trunk and the lid is closed. This necessity has actually helped me structure the act.

http://www.sideshowworld.com/48-Vent/Eme......ncy.html

Now I start with my concertina. It's an unusual instrument and attracts people walking by. The sound carries well too. Noise of some kind is a good way to get people to stop. I also have some interactive comedy bits I do with the concertina. Then, typically, I introduce either Frank the Wonder Dog (for my longer show) or Henry. I do about 3-5 minutes with the concertina, 3 minutes with Frank, and 7 minutes with Henry. Tom's certainly right about a good street act being a different animal. People are not inclined to stop these days, we are a busy society. Tourist areas are good because they are often there to take in local color, and street performers certainly fit the bill. Really good foot traffic is imperitive. For myself, here in San Antonio, I have a sort of western theme to my act and costuming when I busk because it makes me look more like an act and not like a panhandler, plus like I said, local color. As for money, I have made some, but I do it for thr experience and to help me write and practice new material. You can either 'hat' them at the end, which is good for giving your act structure.. a beginning, middle and end. Or you can collect 'trickle' hat, which is just a tip jar out all the time you work. This would be good if you're not aiming at a structured show. A musician or statue act will tend to work this way. As a vent, I usually 'hat' them at a specific time, right before my big finish. But a vent figure could actually continually talk to passers by without a structured act and just collct trickle. Both ways can make money. As for sound, some places don't allow amplification. I personally use an Alesis Transactive Mobile system with a wired mic and a stand. Not super loud, but enough, and the sound is clean. I don't always have a place to plug in, but when I do, I use my Mackie 150. It's louder, cleaner and smaller.

There's a pic of a vent in the sidewalk shuffle area right now. This guy is currently working the strip in Vegas as a busking vent.

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......orum=6&5

I do a 45 minute set David, so yes, in a manner of speaking, it is the entire act.

You made an excellent point - prop control is essential - things can walk. I've had people enter my "area" during a set and try to pick something up off my stand as I am working.

I find working the crowd with one character keeps people around. When I switch puppets, I will usually lose some, even though others join in.

On the street you will end up dealing with drunks (stupid and/or aggressive), druggies, thieves, hecklers, idiots, and attitutde kids without parents. For all of those you need to stay sharp, be able to command the situation and squash any issues quickly. For the most part, the crowds are fun. It is a great place to improve your showmanship!

Tom, I'm impressed you do a full show like on the street. Even though I know your set-up at that event is better than many typical street set-ups, 45 minutes is a long time to hold an audience for a street show. The nature of a street audience is that they are always just about to walk off, so you have to continually engage and re-engage them to keep them. It is much different from working in a theater or any other setting. The closest equivalent is a kids birthday party with all it's distractions, but even that's not a good comparison. Basically you have to make the audience feel that they will be missing something really cool if they walk, constantly, without ever seeming desparate. It's demanding. You have to really be 'present' with a street show, very aware of your audience, and the show has to be super tight. You lose people when you change characters because they see it as a slow moment, an opportunity to walk, so tight transitions are even more important than usual.

45 Minutes is definitely a long street show! I remember my first - it wasn't pretty. Your description is perfect - present, aware, engage and re-engage the audience - it is a process that makes people wonder what is going to happen next. The show has to be extremely tight and extremely funny. If you aren't funny every second - you'll lose them. Plus the distractions - a siren goes off - you need a line, a car backfires, you need a line. The band down the street can be heard - you need a gun - er - line.

If working street doesn't kill you - it will definitely improve you. A good street act can KILL in almost any setting - which is why I am often surprised some people look down on street performers.

Lybrary.com sells Walk-About Ventriloquism by Paul Romhany in ebook format that contains some useful tips for this kind of performing.

Timothy -

I believe in Paul's book (which I don't own) Walk About is strolling. Carrying the puppet around and interacting with people in a more individualized or small group basis.

Street performing usually involves setting up a show pitch, drawing a crowd and doing the show.

Does he actually cover street shows in the book? I look at them as two different performing styles. Personally, I enjoy working street shows, but would die as a strolling act.

Tom

True, Walk-About Ventriloquism is more about being hired for a party or festival. Some of the advice could still apply, however, such as dealing with fatigue, what kind of character to use, ad-libbing, handling crowds and so on.