What is Walkabout Entertainment?
This is something similar to "the Wandering Minstrel" you may have seen at various fetes and carnivals. It is suitable for any type of event (such as Store Openings, Carnivals/Festivals, Parades, Fun Days, Shopping Centres, Pubs/Clubs) where you want to create a buzz or an enhanced "good time" atmosphere without necessarily putting the performer up on a stage at a designated time for everyone to stop what they are doing and watch! They are also particularly useful in keeping crowds of "about to pay" customers in long queues waiting to see Santa or for a particular theme park ride. The organisers of events don't want these people getting bored and harassed by their children and deciding to leave the queue, so you can come to the rescue and keep everyone entertained and happy!
Walkabout Entertainers simply wander amongst the visitors to your event. They stop and entertain small crowds and individuals at random. There are Glow versions of most Circus Skills props such as balls, clubs, poi, devilstick & diabolo. This means that you can entertain whether it is day or night! Glow Juggling Walkabout is ideal for bonfire night and Halloween themed events, as well as the switching on of Christmas lights.
How Do I Carry My Props?
You basically have only a few choices:
Just carry one or two props with you for the whole event, or return occasionally to a secured area to switch over props.A suitcase on wheels. This will allow you to pack in lots of equipment but the downside is that you can't really wheel it along the ground while doing tricks, so you have to stop and start on a regular basis wherever you go.
The best solution I have found is to wear a Jugglers Rucksack. There are some excellent ones available which have pockets and compartments in all the right places to help you store all different sorts of circus skills props securely and access them easily.
What props could I use?
If you have developed any short and snappy routines using props that fit nicely into your Jugglers rucksack, then carry these props with you for anytime you want to stop and do a quick performance. Remember that the idea isn't to try to gather a huge crowd, so if you attract one, then it may be time to move on and entertain people elsewhere! Your client has hired you to keep people happy, but not to stop them from spending their money on all the attractions they have put on! If you only perform to tiny audiences everywhere, then you can use the same routines again and again as your new audience won't have seen it yet!
Costume:
An increasing amount of clients are asking performers not to look anything like clowns because kids are scared of them, so this will save you having to put on make-up and dress very brightly! I usually opt for a smart casual look. Brightly coloured trousers, with a single colour t-shirt, and a waistcoat. It's enough to make you stand out from the crowd, identify yourself as a performer, but still be approachable by a wide cross-section of people who are not going to be too embarrassed to stand next to you! If you end up spending your time as a walkabout entertainer dealing with heckles about what you are wearing, then it is time to consider finding a more suitable outfit!
Some Further Advice:
Walkabout entertainment involves social interaction. It is about helping to enhance the event for every person you meet. It is OK to get into conversations with people and answering their questions about the world of entertainment (and anything else they wish to discuss) and not just be constantly juggling.This is a great chance to try out new short routines and tricks on people. If these routines go wrong, you may surprise yourself with coming up with an excellent ad-lib that you can write down later!
In order to look approachable, it may be helpful to smile at people!
Don't try to do the most technical tricks that scream "look at me, I am brilliant!"
Don't focus on your own skills when you are wandering around the event, be on the look out for people who might be interested in seeing a few tricks or having a try at spinning a plate or learning to juggle. You will soon develop a useful radar for such people and also for knowing which people to avoid completely!
Don't be worried about dropping or making mistakes. Develop the sort of character/personality that lets people see that you are enjoying being at this event and entertaining them, but that mistakes sometimes happen! Recover by doing an even more impressive trick.
Steve Thomson is a professional juggler based in the United Kingdom. He has an online juggling store (UK only) called Jugglingworld.biz which sells hundreds of Juggling Equipment and Novelty Items.
You can find out more about Steve's Walkabout Entertainment here.
Twitter name is @stevejuggler
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