Some of my favourite Clown routines growing up were the Slosh acts like the decorator sketch, the bucket switch and pie fights. I think Slosh acts are one of the expected of clowns and can instantly transport everyone of us back to when we were 4 years old again. The true embodiment of The clown as a cartoon character (Yes I have been reading clownalley.net (http://clownalley.net/) again - Thanks Pat).

With more and more of our clowning done at parties, fairs, galas, and theatre and us paying insurance premiums and working in a sue happy culture, does anyone perform Slosh routines outside of the circus? If so what precautions do you take to protect customer property? how do you manage to incorporate it into your act?

Smartii

I like using a bit of slosh in my performances. I make it depending on the venue how sloshy I will/can make it become. I've got a cleaning act with broom and towel as well that can be done after the sloshy act. While doing this cleaning act I can actualy do some cleaning. If it isn't for the protection of the property it is to protect myself for slyding and falling over the mess. (I actualy fell last month after forgetting to do the cleaningact properly, as properly in the sence that it becomes well dry and clean, luckily nobody noticed because they thought that the fall was part of the act, I like doing prattfalls, but I did had some painfull bruces).

I've got one act with bubble blowing. I don't understand how it works so I act like tasting and drinking it and also while not understanding I blow hard in the bottle with soultion after which I get bubble solution (controled) all over my face. After that I blow bubbles with my mouth for the wow effect.

Another act I like to do sometimes is a eatact with drinking water, bread and chocobutter. The eating table is in the mean time the trunk with everything in it. So everytime I have to get something out of the trunk what is already decked falls on the floor the bread gets dirty (sometimes in the search I go stand on it) so have to be ceaned with a broom and later even with water out of a bidon. Which I don't know how it works properly. So I squeeze it al over my face (and or audience). The cleaning of the bread I do very clumsy and messy. Finally it all becomes one big lovely mess. Children just love it seeing you being sloshy, messy, clumsy, letting everything drop, loosing it, falling over it etc, etc. Fun,fun,fun.


The cleaning act is a bit in the same direction as how the brooming act of Avner is:

YouTube - ???????Avner the eccentric & Shinya Murayama (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGuVLKirZE0)

OH MY WORD a clown trying to smoke!!! Classic example that there are different kinds of clowns, great routine. I use a pie in my fair shows and its just one and under my control. If it's an outdoor show and not one stage... game on lets make a mess. My only issue is as soon as I am done with the show I am going straight into balloons and need to be clean and able to keep working.

I've been wanting to work a confetti bucket into my routine for a bit now, I'm thinking of using it to follow a hydrostatic glass. So the audience are less suspecting of a switch coming up. Use the bucket to dump the water/gimmick, look around for somewhere to empty the bucket before returning it to the suitcase, then decide to throw the bucket over the audience. I'm thinking if I switch the confetti for strips of clear plastic attached to the bucket it'll avoids mess and clean up.

My thoughts are either slush powder or a mesh bottom and a table with a well to "vanish" the water and leave me with a clean bucket for the throw. My only stumbling block is I don't want the gimmick to go flying when I go for the throw, I could go for a palm of the gimmick whilst "splashing" the water at the audience (but I'm not much of a magician) although of course I'm open to other ideas

I'm still working on the rest of the act, but the main aim is incidental, the bucket will already be there. I'd like each prop to be in use for 1 or 2 bits so they flow. eg I trim the rola bola board down with a saw as it's too long (opposite end from cut drops off) into rola bola/juggling bit saw is left for now but is picked back up later and used as a musical saw.

Smartii

I have a friend that uses bright colored ribbon and tapes one end to the inside bottom of the bucket so its all attached and doesn't make a mess. He had used some mylar ribbon that was blue so it was blue and shiny like water.

Have you considered a " baffle bucket" ? It works the same as a " foo can ". If you don't know , make a post and I will try to explain one.

Almost any welding shop can make the bucket for you.

I also have a bucket for one of our group skits but instead of confetti, I attached these mouth coils, these were layered so that they fanned and when you throw out the bucket they would fan out. I've never run across that type of mouth coil again.

Hey Jimbo, I've never heard of the baffle bucket before. I'd be grateful if you could share some iformation with us on it design and use.

Smartii

A baffle bucket has a oval shaped piece of sturdy sheet metal welded inside so as to made a water tight compartment in the bottom. Before welding the oval in place drill 3 or 4 1 inch holes very close together in a row following the contour of the oval. Since the sheet metal has to be tilted to be inserted into the bucket to fit ....this secret shelf is on a slant with the holes at the lowest point.... Now once this has been welded in place....test to see if it's water tight....pour a gallon of water in the bucket and it will flow thru the holes into the compartment....when you tilt the bucket one way the water will get trapped behind the compartment wall and when you tilt it the other way it will pour out of the holes.... once you have done the water test dry the bucket and paint the interior FLAT black....and wait for it to dry...

Some people add a little box ,say 2x4x6 , something like a very small cigar box WITH a lid to the insert by either glueing or bolting it place. ... just be sure the hinge side is on the higher end of the slope....paint this also flat black....

NOW your bucket is ready to use....fill the small box with confetti and shut the lid....and it's all set to use in the show in any way you see fit.......you can use it to dump a lot of water into during the show and when you go to throw it at the crowd the door of the box should pop open on its own releasing the confetti.

More on the Baffle Bucket.....

BEFORE making the oval insert (baffle) out of sheet metal make a pattern out of heavy card board. That way you won't waste time (and material too) cutting the metal. You might want to wear heavy work gloves as sheet metal can be very sharp.

Anyone who has a " FOO CAN " can see this is the same principle just bigger. If you don't already have a foo can you should consider buying one. They are a great BASIC magic prop and you can do several tricks with one. Last time i got one it was in the $10. range.

Jimbo, I'm having trouble picturing exactly what you're talking about. Do you have any pix of your bucket?

JImbo.... any chances of you posting a picture or a few?? I can go to a welder to get one made, but I'm gonna have to show him a picture... or maybe an internet site with directions and pics???? this is cool.. I have a parade coming up, and it could be good fun!!!!!!

Sorry guys....I don't have any pictures of the insides of one....they were common way back when....and were used a lot in the WASHER WOMAN gag, which is sloshy as it gets.

I don't have a bucket of my own at the moment . The one I had grew legs and walked away or I prefer to believe I left it somewhere and forgot it was outside when we jumped.

BUT I been thinking of having one made....maybe I can get a couple made. I have to get a price . If anyone is interested PM me. They would probably be a lot cheaper per unit to have several made instead of one ...OR maybe I can just have the insert and box made and have instructions with it.....any ideas?

If you want to have it made yourself , buy a foo can and take that to the welder to show him what you want...JUST BIGGER. A foo can IS a good thing to have and almost ANY local magic shop has one or you can always do the mail order bit.

I used the same principal with an act for two. But then it wasn't a bucket. Instead it was made into a magic top hat. If you don't make holes but just take of the whole bottom part of the oval. The water can be poored in easier/quicker and comes out quicker. The basic of the act was that I could do a magictrick in which water was poored in the hat and I then could place it on my head staying dry. Then I let my partner try to do the same trick giving him the hat in the other direction and he gets wet. We also did the trick the right way of course with a volunteer and then again my partner tried and again getting wet. It was a really good gag.

A "magical " top hat ! What a great idea.

Love all the slosh & mess will also getting into it again for next seasons pantomime.