Beginning Busking
It takes a lot of practice in order to perform at Busking Festivals. During university, Chris Pilsworth, routinely went to Sparks street, in Ottawa, to perform, pass the hat and earn his tuition. During those four summers, Chris learned how to engage and audience, have them watch his show and also throw money into his hat. This education was invaluable to becoming a better performer.
An audience is built on the street. As no one is expecting a show, the performer needs to stop them quickly with amazing tricks and keep that interest until the end of the show, when the hat is passed.
Busking Festivals’ Headaches
Tricks that work well in a theatre don’t necessarily work outdoors. I quickly discovered that the wind, rain or intense sun could all have a negative impact on the tricks I could perform. Once I eliminated the ones that didn’t perform well, my show began to take shape.
Busking Festivals
When I was older, I returned back to the street, in between regular shows to experiment on new material. It is a great laboratory for testing new entertainment ideas! After 5 years of busking on the street, my act was really tight and ready for Busking Festivals. These festivals are hybrid events as residents come to the festival knowing that they’ll see some great acts. It is somewhat easier to build the audience. As important as the tricks and illusions are, a personal interaction with the audience is equally important. At any time the members of the audience can walk away. If you are funny, engaging and exciting, the chances of them staying for the whole show increase dramatically. There is nothing more rewarding than knowing you built up a crowd of 300-400 strangers and created a magic moment in time.
Joining People
One of my favourite parts of performing in busker festivals is to create an audience of strangers that is diverse in ethnicities and ages. Seeing them act and respond as one is truly magical. It is wonderful knowing that deep down, people are all pretty much the same; we love to have fun, play and be entertained, no matter the age. Magic has a way of relating to everyone and creating wonder that all can appreciate.
