Any tips, hints, help, or ideas for starting out street performing? Im not shy entertaining in front of people but never done clowning. I just kinda don't know well how to prepare an act and how to start, I have a few ideas. Any help is appreciated.

I would suggest maybe writing a ‘skit’ as it were, instead of random clowning have a kind of point to it, work up to something big at the end a good old finale.
Props are a must I think, lots of funny gags, maybe a rubber chicken, throw some pie at the audience…
Juggling is fun if you’re skilled at that.

Really it’s all your own personal preference to whatever you enjoy doing most.

Much of the time street performers use clowny techniques but seldom have I seen a street performer actually dress as a clown. For parades or festivals where they are scheduled to be there, yes, but that is a bit different. For Busking (or Street Performing) help I recommend www.performers.net (http://www.performers.net) , there are also a couple of Yahoo Groups "busking" and "buskers" if I remember correctly.

There's a standard saying over on that website which Dan linked that, "Your first 100 shows will suck!"

I think that the key is to just get out there and DO IT. Learn from your experience.

I'd try to at once live in your own world and then break that fourth wall to interact with others, Audience interaction is essential with street performance.

I will be honest, I have seen some street performers who wern't that great but noone cares, it's still entertaining :)

anyone have good skits?

Street stuff is going to require more improv than scripted skit. In a perfect world you could download a funny script and do it on the street. Audience response and participation is going to change your plan more often than not; and change it to a degree that you may not be doing what you initially had planned.

Like Tim said, it's more about just going out and doing, than memorizing lines and movement...

I put up a little article with advice that I've found useful for street performing. Hope it helps!

http://www.clown-forum.com/variety-street-performance/3817-cool.html#post37196

Nice :) thanks

A strong repertoire of jokes and one-liners couldn't hurt.

I don't know if I'd recommend busking in clown, though. People are accustomed to clowns giving things away... You may do better without the make-up.

Wow, all of this have been really help full.

Help getting started in street performing. What a great topic, the most important thing for me in street performing, is Improvisation being able to Improv is key working the streets. Because anything can happen, and you got to be ready for anything. And there are some acting games you can play with friends to hone these skills in; also I always practice with public out of make-up. My Favorite is to pick out a person that I don’t know, when I with my friends, and just tell them to watch how I do this, the goal from stranger is to share and give to me one bite of there food, not for me to take it from them, but they have to give it to me and I eat that one bite and then go back over to my friends. Have done this 100’s of times and I am a 100% every time. It’s just being able to think fast, and read your surroundings. All types of ways to practice Improv skills.

I used to be petrified of street work. I would go out with friends who were seasoned pros and feel totally inadequate. Working on the street is nothing like doing the odd magic trick and a few jokes in a bar over a pint. You have to be able to cope and deal with all sorts unexpected and unplannable situations. Improvisation is the key you need a good range of strong material and a lot of gags and one liners. This stuff needs to appeal to differing age groups from pre school to lager louts. If you dont, you will feel useless to the little ones and youll get ripped appart by the bigger ones and you'll never make a penny.

That was my experiance when first trying. I had London to play with, 6 million complete strangers to make an idiot out of my self in front of. The self consiousness wares off pretty quickly as you gain confidence and your skills develop. Now I love it. I don't need to do it any longer but I get withdrawl symptons if I leave it for more than a couple of weeks. I just love the randomness of it all. And I like the way it touches other people. They never knew they were going to bump into you and laugh. You get the oppotunity to give a complete stranger the biggest grin of the day. They love you for it.

I shall write more on this thread shortly.

Street performing is an art form to itself and I think one of the best ways to get your comedy chops! If you can get people to stop on the street and watch you as they pass by it should be easy to entertain them from a stage! I know a few "famous" street performers and even trained with one and they are some of the most amazing performers out there.

Hey what about going to big huge gatherings dressed up as a clown and do balloon twisting? Im talking like where 25000 people show up. There is one I know of the day after thanksgiveing where lots of kids will be there. Put out a donation bucket for tips? Just remember kids love balloons... Does anyone one have some words of advice on this?????

Check with the management! If they don't want you there or they think you are taking money from people they do want there you will be shown the door rather quickly unless you have their okay ahead of time.

Very true, if you're not careful you can end up out on your ear.

Does anyone have tips for drawing a crowd?

I found a good one is to take a friend, and point at something invisible. Then, one of you start to run, as though it's moved. As the other one joins you, go the opposite way. This is quite funny, and can go on for some time, and always gets people wondering what's happening.

i wis i had stuff to street perform,lol

Very true, if you're not careful you can end up out on your ear.

Does anyone have tips for drawing a crowd?

I found a good one is to take a friend, and point at something invisible. Then, one of you start to run, as though it's moved. As the other one joins you, go the opposite way. This is quite funny, and can go on for some time, and always gets people wondering what's happening.Creating a spectacle is a great way to gather a crowd. For example having a large grandfather-like clock. Set it up on the street and wind it then watch it INTENTLY count down one minute. When the minute is up begin the show. Also fire eating is a good way to draw a crowd. I haven't done it myself but one of my mentors swore by it.

Also fire eating is a good way to draw a crowd. I haven't done it myself but one of my mentors swore by it.

Anything involving fire, or something life-threatening, will always attract attention.
Although often people think you're a loony. xD

Just a note, when using fire as clown read insurance policies, Mine and most of the clown policies doesn’t cover fire, so read your policy and be careful with fire……

Noise. Preferably also noise form the people who already watch. Noise makes people curious about what is going on even when they don't see you yet.

not the fire ouch....lol

If you want to know more about street performing join us at http://sidewalkperformers.com/

Thanks

Matt

Thanks Matt. The site is fantastic!

Yay nice one Rumbling Matt, on the first page that came up I saw people I know, out in Covent Garden.

Hey Guys I'm glad you like it unfortunately it looks like it is temporarily down. This sight is a great networking sight and we can use smart working professionals for guidance. You gents seem to have some great thinking about street performing. I would appreciate if you join us and participate heavily once we get her back up to speed. Firing on all cylinders again. Thanks

Magically yours
Matt Rambles

Yep I noticed when I wanted to have a second look. Let us know when you get it on the web again.

If you have already signed up then you have a user name and can join us here Sidewalk Performers Forum :: Index (http://sidewalkperformers.freeforums.org/index.php)

Apparently our front page got hacked. So the frontpage is still down but the forum is still active, any and all are welcome to join us there. Thanks to Barry and Chance for checking us out already would love to see others join us as well. Thanks again everyone for your patience. :o

Does anyone have tips for drawing a crowd?
.
He's right, noise will draw a crowd. People can miss things they don't see, but unless they're hard of hearing or deaf they don't have a choice to hear you. If you're like me and don't have a sound system, people will clap for you if you make it worth their while Example: YouTube - willow locking on the street (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-Rbk87YX5k)

Hey Matt,I'll check it out!!!!

Ok guys I will give you the one thing that I noticed about all the great Street performers. Energy, energy, energy. You want to get a crowd then start by running a round in a circul this will set your area for the performance. Then you need an attention grabber. I personaly would take a 6 foot latter and balance it on my face. Then a 10 speed bike. Now that I got the crowd I always make the crowd part of the show, get them to ooo and ahhh on demand. I would have people give me any 3 things to juggle I would recieve shoes, cups, bags, lipstick, puppys, you name it. This was always good for a comic bit. Then you do you special bit like fire eating or fire juggling or whatever but before you do that bit you let people know that you are about to do and that you as a poor performer relieing on them to keep performing. ( i use to place 3 differnt baskets down and tell them that for thier shopping convience there are 3 locations right next to them.) Then I perform the final blowoff get the audiance to applude and to please put money in my baskets. Other that that have more tricks up your sleve than you will use in one show, be flexiable and learn to read your crowds.