A lot of your answers depends on your character and how well developed he is, and your various skills.
When the average parent calls me for a party they have no real idea of what they want. They know "they want a clown that is funny."
From the parties I have done so far I have learned that the better you become with your character the longer your show can be; that is because instead of just doing tricks your are entertining. That being said for a typical party for a 5 to 8 year old with 15 to 20 kids expected I know that if each child is going to get a balloon (and a few repairs) I need to allow about 30 minutes for balloons, that means my show should last about half an hour also. So I start with the show, during the show I see about how many kids actually showed up, in case I will need to shave a couple of minutes from my show. And after the show I bring out my balloons. That is a basic party. You can substitue face painting for the balloons or the show. I charge the same for FP or balloons or a show plus. It depends on the time. If I am going out of clown I take that into consideration.
When I perform an act, how do I tie juggling and humor and magic and balloon twisting and skits into a satisfactory, flowing performance? Is there some kind of universal plan I can shape my act around?
That is indeed the big question. I actually have an hour to a 90 minute lecture on this very topic. I dont have the time right now but I will post a few pointers. If I get side tracked please send me a PM reminder.
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