As I write this I am sitting at a coffee shop on the Golden Princess, a cruise ship with over 3000 passengers – I’ve come a long way since the above photo. We are on our way from LA to Hilo in Hawaii which means 4 long days at sea, sounds like a dream job right? Well it is a great job but the long sea days can really get to you, there are only so many films you can watch and books you can read, it takes a certain mind set to avoid going stir crazy. I have probably drunk enough coffee this week to float this vessel! I will be making this trip 6 times over the next 3 months and I am using the time to work on some new material, finish ‘If Ever A Wiz There Was Part 2’, and spend time in conversation with the other acts that are onboard – a comedian, a hypnotist, and a vocal impressionist. Mixing with performers with different skills is very educational.
Last night after my shows (I had to do a 45 minute show twice in a 900 seat venue) I had a late night drink with the comedian and as often happens we started talking about comedy and approaches to performing. The topic that we discussed at great length was the pros and cons of scripted performance vs improvising.
By a scripted performance we didn’t necessarily mean that the words had been written down and we were not allowed to deviate from them. A script for most comedy performers is a lot looser than that. And one thing we both agreed on is that it is good to have many routes through the same material. By that I mean that there are actually several scripts for each routine and we would pick the one that feels right on a particular night depending on the audience. I do shows to many different types of people and even though the core material stays the same (the actual tricks) the way I deliver it changes depending on the audience. For example, I do my chop cup routine for family shows and in comedy clubs and although I am not a blue performer I hit the audience a lot harder if it is a late night adult crowd, it is more to do with attitude than actual language.
So how do you develop these different scripts? Well the only way is by experimenting. Always being prepared to try a different line, a different approach, a different gag. Always being open to a spot of improvisation. The next problem is to make sure you remember what you did and which bits worked. I usually record every show in case I improvise a great gag, I used to use a dictaphone and listen to it in the car as I drove home. Nowadays I use a cheap video camera so I have the luxury of seeing it as well – but not while I am driving!
There are inherent dangers in being tied to a script. Magic shows are usually interactive. A card is chosen or a volunteer is asked to help in some way. This action breaks the theatrical fourth wall which separates the audience from the performer. Remove the wall and it is now OK for anyone to join in – and they often will. If you are stuck to a script there is a chance that the an unexpected reaction will send you into unscripted territory. This is particularly true in the close-up environment. Experienced close-up performers know that you have to include the audience to get them involved, this often means going with the flow and reacting to them, sometimes they are leading you. It is at this moment that you have to improvise.
When I first started performing I would improvise continually because I didn’t have an act. As I developed I found that certain lines worked better for me than others and these were the lines that I used more often. Over time the routines became fixed and I found that I had a few different ways of doing my favorite set pieces. These pieces gradually evolved as I encountered fewer and fewer new situations. They eventually became unintentionally scripted.
This is fairly normal in the development of an act but it led to a mistake – I got way to comfortable with my scripts. I was improvising less and less and the scripts were working better and better. What was the problem with that? When I did hit an unexpected situation, one that I hadn’t met before, I lost the ability to improvise and make it work. Important lesson – all our performance skills need to be regularly exercised.
The best way I can sum this up is by using an illustration from an old theology professor who wasn’t talking about performance, he was talking about belief but the analogy is a good one. He said that most people want to cling onto a rock when they are surrounded by the stormy sea of doubt, but no matter how hard you try to hold on, sooner or later a wave will knock you off. It is far better to jump in and learn how to swim.
Your script is very important but you should never be totally glued to it. If something unexpected happens then you will be thrown of track. You need to get used to going off script and being in that unknown territory and still maintain control of the show. Learn to enjoy the grey area that is outside your comfort zone. I have now built several points into my set when I genuinely don’t know what is going to happen next, and they are often the best bits of the show.
The same applies to entertaining kids, performing close-up or working in front of 900 people on a cruise ship.
The water is lovely, why don’t you join me and jump in.
(OK I know that sometimes doing something different can be a bit scary but it is the best way to learn.
If you would like a life raft/belt/ring you may find some help here –
How To Handle Hecklers)
A Great Find For Children’s Entertainers.
I had the pleasure of meeting Tommy James at Kidabra last year. I did not know it at the time but he has some great products and one that I specifically want to mention. ‘Comeback Bee’ is a version of the Homing Card, a marvelous plot that works so well as a children’s trick. If you haven’t seen this then do yourself a favor and …
Click here to see : The ComeBack Bee
A solid 5 minutes of fun with a few cards, packs small plays big, and you get to learn how to do the homing card for free – You can thank me later. It is available direct from Tommy – TommyJamesMagic.Com
Feel free to email me and I look forward to hearing from you soon
Cheers
Keith Fields