the Way of the Showman

What if the most profound aspects of human experience—from religious ritual to artistic expression—have their roots in play? In this thought-provoking exploration of serious play, Captain Frodo challenges the false dichotomy between seriousness and importance, revealing how playful engagement offers access to deeper realities than solemn endeavors often can.Drawing on Plato's assertion that "life must be lived as play," we explore how imaginal play allows us to embody different identities and perspectives, transforming how we experience the world. When a child becomes Zorro or a martial artist imagines standing in flowing water, they're not merely pretending—they're accessing genuine transformative experiences that reveal aspects of reality otherwise hidden.The connections between play, ritual, and religion run deeper than most realize. Scholars like Johan Huizinga have shown how ritual creates a "magic circle" where different rules apply—much like the stage creates a space of possibility for performers. This understanding elevates performance art from "mere entertainment" to a profound human activity that creates shared realities and offers new ways of being.For performers, this perspective transforms how we approach our craft. Rather than apologizing for being "just entertainers," we can confidently assert that art forms the axis around which human culture revolves. By taking play seriously—recognizing its power to transform perspectives and access deeper truths—we honor the profound importance of what we do and strengthen our connection with audiences.Whether you're a performer seeking deeper meaning in your work or simply curious about the hidden importance of play in human experience, this episode offers transformative insights that will change how you see both playfulness and purpose.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

What if our capacity for play is not just a quirk of evolution but a fundamental way we grasp reality? Much like sight reveals color and hearing reveals sound, could play be a sense that unveils essential dimensions of existence otherwise hidden from us?Captain Frodo challenges us to reconsider the nature and value of play beyond its utilitarian functions. While science often explains play through its evolutionary benefits—practice for hunting, social bonding, developing cognitive flexibility—these explanations miss something crucial: the joy of play itself. When we watch a crow repeatedly sliding down a snowy roof on a plastic lid, flying back up only to slide down again, we witness something more than adaptive behavior. We glimpse a consciousness experiencing pleasure in the moment.The episode draws heavily from Johan Huizinga's groundbreaking work "Homo Ludens," exploring how play predates human culture and may well be the foundation from which our entire civilization emerged. Law, war, philosophy, art, religion—all these domains of human achievement might have their roots in playful behavior. If so, dismissing play as unimportant or merely instrumental severely limits our understanding of what makes us human.This perspective reframes our relationship with reality itself. The playful approach to the world isn't an escape from what's real but an engagement with a different facet of it. When we play, we're not just entertaining ourselves—we're accessing a dimension of reality that our purely logical or utilitarian approaches cannot reach. This has profound implications for how we teach, learn, and solve problems.As this episode marks the conclusion of an extended exploration of play, Captain Frodo invites us to recognize ourselves—especially artists, performers, and "misfits"—as the embodiments of homo ludens, the playful human. In our play, we're not just having fun; we're revealing essential truths about reality itself.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

What makes something "serious" and why do we automatically equate seriousness with importance? In this thought-provoking journey through linguistic history, educational systems, and cultural hierarchies, Captain Frodo reveals how the very concept of seriousness has been weaponized as a tool for social control.Diving into Alan White's groundbreaking essay "The Dismal Sacred Word," we discover how the first dictionaries deliberately created distinctions between "high" and "low" language, with lasting consequences for how we value different forms of expression. The exploration continues through the Protestant-influenced school systems that physically separated "serious" indoor learning from "unimportant" outdoor play—a division that continues to shape our understanding of value today.From the marginalization of play to the struggles of artists seeking legitimacy, this episode exposes how arbitrary yet powerful these distinctions really are. Why did the Impressionists have to fight so hard to be taken seriously? Why do circus performers and magicians still battle for cultural recognition? The answer lies in understanding that "there is no intrinsic link at all" between solemn seriousness and genuine importance.For anyone who has felt their passions dismissed as trivial or unimportant, this episode offers both validation and liberation. By recognizing how seriousness has been socially constructed, we can begin questioning these false hierarchies and reclaiming the profound value of play, joy, and creative expression. What if the most important things in life aren't serious at all?Listen now to challenge everything you thought you knew about what really matters, and discover why play might be the most serious business of all.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

What if your work felt like play? What if that seemingly childish question—"What would you do if money was no object?"—actually held the key to living without regret?Captain Frodo takes us on a profound journey through the false separation between play and work that dominates adult life. Drawing wisdom from philosophers Johann Huizinga and John Dewey alongside mystical thinker Alan Watts, this episode challenges our cultural assumptions about what constitutes "serious" pursuits.The exploration reveals how children's play—far from frivolous—represents deep, meaningful engagement with the world. This "serious play" serves as their work, their way of understanding themselves and their place in society. Meanwhile, adults often abandon play for "work" defined by external rewards rather than intrinsic satisfaction, creating lives split between obligation and enjoyment.Most poignantly, we confront the five most common regrets of the dying, with the top regret being failing to live authentically rather than meeting others' expectations. This reveals the potential consequences of abandoning our playful nature for socially prescribed paths.Through evolutionary perspectives showing childhood's increasing importance in human development and philosophical insights about integrating play and work, Captain Frodo offers a compelling vision: work permeated with the play attitude becomes art—and potentially, the foundation of a life without regret.Ready to reconsider the role of play in your life and work? This episode might change how you view what truly matters. Follow @thewayoftheshowman on Instagram and share this episode with someone searching for more meaning in their daily pursuits.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning.”Fred Rogers aka Mister Rogers.I talk about Johan Huizinga's book Homo Ludens.he describes play like this:“Play is a free activity standing quite consciously outside 'ordinary' life as being 'not serious,' but at the same time absorbing the player intensely and utterly.”You can't be serious, is this your real job? is one of my pet peeves and an instigator for this whole 30 episode season. I explore it further  in this episode.Child's play is serious.Adult play. what is it?Work and play. What is the relationship, differences and similarities...What is the purpose of the child's play? Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

When Chris Canfield first messaged me about his upcoming show "The Games We Play," I was struck by how our creative paths had converged despite beginning worlds apart. Chris grew up in Chicago with a magician father who filled their home with card tricks and coin sleights—magic wasn't special, it was simply what they did. Meanwhile, I was discovering similar wonders in the remote landscapes of Norway.What makes Chris's story extraordinary isn't just that he grew up surrounded by magic, but that his parents opened a game store where play became the center of their family life. Board games, puzzles, chess sets—these weren't just products but portals to connection. Chris learned early that games create spaces where adults and children meet as equals, where the boundaries between work and play dissolve.When tragedy struck at sixteen with his father's unexpected death, Chris stepped away from magic, finding the association too painful. His creative energy channeled into music instead, where he developed a custom guitar pick for his right hand (Chris was born with a limb difference) and discovered the transcendent joy of improvisation. As we discussed the parallels between musical flow states and magical performance, it became clear that different forms of play share profound connections.The heart of our conversation explores how Chris's theatrical show "The Games We Play" integrates his personal narrative with interactive magic and games. Rather than performing conventional tricks, he creates experiences where audiences become participants in a shared journey. "I'm trying to blur the lines between games and magic," he explains, crafting moments that feel both impossible and emotionally resonant.For those fascinated by the psychology of performance, Chris offers valuable insights about breaking down the traditional barrier between performer and spectator, creating what I call "a third space" where co-creation happens. His show traces the evolution of games from their earliest forms to modern iterations, examining how play shapes our emotional lives and helps us process our most profound experiences.Whether you're a performer seeking fresh approaches to audience engagement, a game enthusiast curious about magic, or someone interested in how childhood experiences shape creative paths, this conversation illuminates the transformative power of play. Let Chris Canfield's journey inspire you to rediscover your own playful spirit and perhaps see magic in unexpected places.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

The enduring magic of juggling spans centuries, yet few performers have dedicated themselves to both preserving its rich history and innovating its future quite like Nils Dunke. In this captivating conversation, the Dutch comedy juggler takes us on an unexpected journey through the interconnected worlds of performance, craftsmanship, and historical preservation.What makes this episode particularly fascinating is Nils' unique intersection of mechanical engineering expertise with artistic passion. He explains how this combination led him to revolutionize traditional juggling equipment through ergonomic designs that enhance performers' capabilities. His collaborations with juggling innovators like Jay Gilligan on the Cuphead Club demonstrate how thoughtful equipment design can unlock entirely new artistic possibilities.Perhaps most compelling is Nils' dedication to preserving juggling's heritage through publishing significant historical works. His efforts to document the stories of legends like 100-year-old Bobby Jule (inventor of the ping-pong ball on nose trick) ensure these valuable contributions aren't lost to time. When he describes visiting juggling archives and connecting with the remaining practitioners from vaudeville's golden age, we glimpse how passion projects become crucial cultural preservation.Whether you're fascinated by the performing arts, interested in how innovation happens, or simply appreciate stories of people following unconventional passions, Nils' perspective offers valuable insights on building a meaningful creative life. His philosophy that "if nobody takes risks, nothing gets pushed forward" serves as inspiration for anyone looking to make their mark while honoring those who came before.Ready to discover how ancient arts evolve in the modern world? Subscribe now and join our exploration of showmanship through the eyes of those who live it daily.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

What happens when an artist watches the same show 84 times over three decades? Something magical emerges at the intersection of art, ritual, and the sacred.Captain Frodo and juggler Jay Gilligan dive deep into the fascinating psychology of repeated viewing, exploring why we'll happily listen to songs hundreds of times but typically see a live performance just once. This conversation challenges our cultural assumptions about consumption while revealing how each viewing of the same performance can uncover new layers of meaning, detail, and artistic intention.The discussion takes unexpected turns through the landscape of artistic development, questioning whether isolation or immersion best serves creative growth. Jay's incredible story of watching a VHS recording of Cirque du Soleil's Mystere daily for an entire year becomes a lens through which to examine ritual, meaning-making, and the spiritual dimensions of performance. When does a theatrical experience transcend entertainment and become something akin to church?For performers, this episode offers profound insights about taking your craft seriously, understanding your lineage, and finding depth in repetition. For audiences, it provides a new way of appreciating live performance—not as a one-time experience but as a potentially sacred ritual that rewards those who return with open hearts and curious minds.Whether you're a seasoned performer or simply someone who appreciates the magic of live entertainment, this conversation will transform how you think about the performances you create or witness. Captain Frodo's heartfelt reflections on the privilege of performing remind us all that great art isn't just what happens on stage—it's the invisible connection created between performer and audience that makes each moment unique, even when performing the same act for the thousandth time.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

When does unmasking the magic behind a theatrical masterpiece enhance rather than diminish its wonder? Join Captain Frodo and Jay Gilligan as they peel back the curtain on Cirque du Soleil's Mystere, revealing the fascinating evolution of this groundbreaking Las Vegas production over its remarkable 31-year run.Franco Dragone emerges as the passionate, sometimes volatile creative force who shaped Mystere through improvisation and emotional imagery rather than traditional storytelling. "I work with images and emotions," he would say, crafting scenes that resonated on a visceral level rather than an intellectual one. The conversation reveals how his creative vision about "the origins of the universe" translated into the show's iconic elements - from the giant inflatable snail named Alice to the baby with the red ball who captures audiences' imaginations.Behind every theatrical wonder lies human reality - sometimes beautiful, sometimes troubling. Dangerous falls from stilts in fog-slicked conditions, and the clown who was fired after cutting the wrong powerful man's necktie during a pre-show bit. Yet these stories don't diminish the magic; they highlight the extraordinary commitment required to create something that transcends ordinary entertainment.Most compelling is how Mystere has evolved while maintaining its essence. Original elements have been modified or removed, performers have changed countless times, and budget cuts have reduced the cast size. Today's performers bring new relationships and chemistry to characters that didn't previously interact, breathing fresh life into a production that refuses to become a museum piece. As Jay reflects, "It's the difference between making a movie and making a show...the show is happening actually for real, every night."Discover why meeting your heroes doesn't always destroy the mystery - sometimes it reveals something even more magical: that ordinary people, through extraordinary dedication, can create experiences that continue to resonate with audiences for decades. Subscribe now for our final episode on Mystere, where we'll explore what we can learn from knowing one thing deeply.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

Step into the enchanting world of "Mystere," where the lines between circus, theater, and artistry blur into an unforgettable experience. In this episode, we unfold the remarkable story behind one of the Cirque du Soleil's most iconic productions, exploring how it reshaped modern entertainment. Listen as we discuss its innovative approach to storytelling, the emotional depth of its performances, and the sheer magic that captivates audiences worldwide.Join us as we dive deep into the show's creative vision, led by Franco Dragone and his team, who broke barriers to redefine the circus landscape. Mystere invites viewers on a journey, appealing to the senses and challenging preconceived notions of performance art through stunning visuals and dynamic storytelling. We share insights on the unique challenges performers face within the show, discovering how anonymity and collective identity play a crucial role in their craft.The episode also touches on the impact of technology in enhancing audience interaction and expectations of live performances. We reflect on the show's enduring legacy, how it paved the way for future productions, and its evolution over the years. Whether you're a circus enthusiast or new to the world of performance arts, you won't want to miss this fascinating exploration! You'll gain valuable insights into the deeper meanings woven into every act. Be part of this journey and share your own experiences with us! Don't forget to subscribe or leave a review!Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

Step into the world of Cirque du Soleil's Mystère and explore its magical journey through the lens of showmanship! This episode takes you behind the scenes as we dive deep into the artistry and evolution that have made Mystère an enduring icon in Las Vegas entertainment. Join hosts Captain Frodo and Jay Gilligan as they share their personal experiences, explore the creative journey behind this iconic show, and discuss how its rich narrative seamlessly combines circus and theater.From the early days of its production to the meticulous crafting of performances, learn about the passion and dedication that go into captivating audiences for over three decades. Mystère is more than just a show; it is a pioneering force that has redefined the circus experience, pushing boundaries while respecting its traditions. Jay, a lifelong juggler and advocate for circus arts, unpacks the emotional layers and innovative techniques that provide depth to this mesmerizing spectacle.As we navigate through key revelations and insider stories of Mystère, we uncover how it has set the standard for future shows and continues to inspire performers around the globe. This rich tapestry of discussion leaves listeners with a profound understanding of both the show and its impact on the cultural landscape. Join us and indulge in an exploration of artistry, risk, and the evolution of performance art. Don't miss out—tune in, subscribe, and uncover the magic of Mystère!Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

What if the spectacle of the past is shaping the media and fashion of today? Join us as we unravel the beguiling narrative of freak shows, from their origins as sideshow curiosities to their influence on modern culture. Our journey takes us through the intricate dance of authenticity and performance, reflecting on anecdotes like Jack Black's lesson on recording's importance. We question if today's mainstream acceptance could strip these performances of their once subversive edge and what it means to be a "freak" in today's world.Throughout the episode, we traverse the historical arc of freak shows, exploring their transformation into contemporary media spectacles akin to reality TV. With examples ranging from Donald Trump's spectacle-driven approach to the enchanting yet controversial acts of Dutch magicians Robert and Emil, we compare this provocative art form with traditional performance arts. Can freak shows be considered a unique artistic expression or merely a mirror of evolving societal norms?We close with a thought-provoking exploration of the emotional landscape that freak shows inhabit. Through historical, literary, and philosophical lenses, we dissect the language of monstrosity and how physical differences evoke visceral reactions. From the evocative narratives of Victorian medical curiosities to the modern allure of extremes, we reflect on how these performances challenge identities and provoke empathy, leaving listeners to ponder the complex tapestry of human experience that freak shows continue to weave.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

What if the raw spectacle of freak shows holds an unexpected depth that challenges our understanding of art? Join us for a captivating discussion with Anna Maria Sienicka, a PhD student and lecturer at Paris Nanterre University, as we explore the philosophy behind these controversial performances. We tackle the question of whether freak shows, often dismissed as mere curiosity-driven entertainment, might contain a kernel of cultural significance worth preserving, much like the multifaceted allure of opera.We venture into the fascinating parallels between slapstick comedy and poetry, uncovering how these seemingly simple forms can evolve into profound reflections on life and death. Our conversation reveals how entertainment transcends mere escapism, becoming a medium for exploring deeper human experiences. We also spotlight influential figures like Matt Fraser and Julie Atlas Muz, who redefine the freak show genre, transforming it into a platform for artistic expression that challenges societal norms.Continuing our exploration, we examine the blurred line between art and entertainment, questioning traditional views on what constitutes artistic merit. From comic books to the French art scene's take on American freak shows, we highlight how diverse mediums evoke visceral responses that defy intellectual categorization. We also discuss the childlike fascination with the monstrous within freak shows, drawing on personal anecdotes to illustrate the primal curiosity they inspire. Finally, we celebrate the artistic lifestyle of showmen, whose unique existence on the road reflects a life steeped in performance art akin to modern-day shamanism.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

Ever wondered how the Freak Show transcends typical performance art with its unique philosophical dimensions? Join Captain Frodo and our esteemed guest, Anna Maria Seneca, a PhD student and lecturer from Paris Nanterre University, as we unravel the intricate layers of this captivating world. Through Anna Maria's research and insights, we explore the Freak Show's distinct identity, standing apart from magic and clowning by offering a profound encounter with the unknown.Social media's impact on self-presentation takes center stage as we draw parallels to Goffman's theatrical metaphor of life. By challenging societal norms and algorithm-driven beauty standards, the Freak Show emerges as a rebellious act akin to the transformative power of drag makeup. Sword swallowing becomes more than just shock and awe; it's an invitation to experience the mysterious and sacred, transforming perceptions and enriching life with an appreciation for the unknown. These acts, once labeled as "freaky," reveal deeper truths, encouraging audiences to embrace the intriguing beauty of the unexplained.The episode ventures further into the art of deception, where the boundaries of reality and illusion blur. We dissect the complex interplay between deception in magic and the authenticity of Freak Shows, much like the theatrical spectacle of American wrestling. From historical marvels to contemporary performances, Freak Shows blend reality with fiction in a way that captivates and challenges audiences. Through my own performances, such as squeezing through tennis rackets, we explore the art of anticipation and humor that guides audiences on a journey filled with surprise and engagement. Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

Prepare to shatter your perceptions of identity and the monstrous as Captain Frodo takes you on an extraordinary exploration of freak shows with the brilliant Anna Maria Sineka from Sorbonne University. This episode uncovers the rich tapestry of performance art that has defined Frodo's career, from the kamikaze freak show to modern-day sideshows, and delves into how these spectacles challenge social norms and provoke profound reflections on humanity. With Anna Maria's scholarly insights into the philosophy of art and medicine, we dissect how the portrayal of monstrosity in freak shows can disrupt our understanding of identity, disability, gender, and race.We'll tap into the emotional power of horror, tracing a path from childhood Goosebumps thrills to a deep appreciation for the genre's ability to evoke strong emotions and blur reality and fiction. Discover the charm of low-budget horror films and how they engage audiences by playing on our deepest fears and curiosities. The conversation transitions seamlessly into the realm of literary giants like Victor Hugo, where we examine how characters with physical abnormalities provoke thought on societal norms and the limits of human perception, much like sideshow performers do in real life.As we navigate the historical and cultural landscape of freak shows, we celebrate contemporary performers who have turned the tables on exploitation to embrace empowerment. Learn how they challenge societal norms and reshape narratives, as we explore the slow acceptance of freak shows within disability studies and the broader cultural landscape. By engaging with performers like Matt Fraser, who proudly identify with the term "freak," we confront our own curiosities and appreciate the artistry and humanity behind these performances. Join us in this captivating journey beyond the spectacle to uncover the profound questions of identity and representation that connect us all.Don't miss the unexpected like why is the usual podcast sign-off mysteriously absent for the first time in 130 episodes.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

Human beings are never finished. We are always changing. Society and culture might push us to become quantified and predictable, but we all are influenced by our surroundings, the people, relationships, and the cultures we surround ourselves with becomes part of us. We take in certain things and discard others. I belive the most beneficial way to navigate the world is through play. This means that our best way onwards through our lives is to retain this mode of behaviour, play, which is so caractheristic of the young in all mammalian species way into adulthood. In this way we can say that the most beneficial way to be in the world is a childlike way.But we are children in more than in our behaviour. We look like children. An adult human being has many features that is normally found in the young of chimpanzees. Our physiology is childlike, if you compare us to our closest living relatives amongs the great apes.The greatest times of our lives are almost exclusively counted as those that had us completely immersed in the moment. When we are in life, located at the heart of Saturday Night, as Tom Waist called it, we are most happy. We inerupts the games of our kids to ask: what are you going to do when you grow up? Whilst what we should be asking is how can I be as constantly immersed in life as you? The role model for a happy life is the child. Let the little children be our teacher.The best of us are those that are the most like children. This is my faith. I am most proud of myself in the moments I embody the values of a child. My daughter is the consumate example for me. As much as it annoys me that I have to remind her six time about brushing her teeth, since she is perpetually interupted by her playful interactions. I need to ask how did I ever forget to be like you? How can I find what's left of you in me? Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode I Show how we, human beings, actually are children throughout our lives. Not just in childhood, which is the longest childhood of any species, but we also retain many key traits of childhood into adulthood. This does not just go for our playful behaviour, but also relates to the way our heads and bodies are formed. This process is called neoteny - the retention of chidlike features into adulthood.I talk about a very long running experiment into how to tame a fox. An experiment orchestrated by a man called Dmitri Belyaev and done by his student who continued this experiment up until today Lyudmila Trot.Lyudmila Trot's book How to Tame a Fox. Article about the fox experiment by Brian Hare Darwin's Dark Knight: Scientist Risked Execution for Fox Study.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode Jay Gilligan and I talk about many things. A few of them are as follows.- Frodo subscribes to Masterclass to learn about poetry and whatever else that app has to offer. Because he is doing 35 hours of driving to gigs in December 2024.- Jay asks about Frodo's obsession with the idea that if something is fun and joyful it commonly thought of as not important.- Decisions are made about what is deemed important.- There is no intrinsic link between serious and important. I claim that the fun and games are also important.- Jay points out this is mentioned in Erik Aaberg's book Cleverer than God.- Festival time all of the time.- Skill Difficulty risk as aspects of human interest. But not as the point of the performance. but as hooks to hold interest.- Importance of having "Skin in the game".- Transforming curiosity to interest to love. (An idea we have from Ivar Hacksher)- How to keep the love for our craft and our life alive.- Rudolf Steiner as an inspiration for Frodo as someone who was deeply interested in everything from dance, language, fairy tales, religion and beekeeping...- Finding more depth in old ideas.- Michael Moschens Violin for 3D space.- you must spend time developing and keeping your passion alive. This is true for our Craft as well as in all our varying relationships. Practice technique, making choices, making decisions and you also need to practice how you curate and foster and nurture your passion. Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

My podcast host has a new feature where it gives an episode description. Here it is:What happens when showmanship meets the genius of performance art? Join Captain Frodo and special guest Jay Gilligan as they unravel the captivating world of Cirque du Soleil's Mad Apple. We dive into the vibrant chaos of Las Vegas productions, shedding light on the exhilarating, yet precarious nature of combining comedy, music, and mayhem into a single narrative. Discover how these artistic elements can resonate with audiences, as we also explore the significance of venturing into new genres like country music.Ever wondered if true artistic genius involves self-destruction? Together, we challenge the cliché of the suffering artist by examining the lives of iconic figures like Kurt Cobain. Our discussion proposes a fresh perspective on genius, suggesting that sustaining creativity might be the real art. This episode questions the cultural expectations placed on artists and highlights the importance of a balanced approach to creativity—one where potential doesn't overshadow sustainable reality.From juggling acts imagined mid-flight to redefining what it means to perform, creativity takes center stage. We delve into the transformative power of play and imagination, revealing how breaking conventions can lead to innovative expressions of identity. Through personal stories, we showcase the journey from concept to execution, emphasizing the power of persistence and adaptability. Celebrate the endless possibilities of artistic creation and embrace the journey of trusting the process with us.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

Jay Gilligan and myself go very deeply into a few ideas that I raise in episode 107.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

another great episode with the wonderful Nick Difatte! We continue our talk on secrets.we touch on these topics and more -You're not suposed to share secrets yet there are 1000's of magic books... How tricks you buy looks.Max Mavens distinct style of the magic he sold.Envelopes holding the secrets to the universe.Tim ConoverMagic downloadsCollectors and the drive to colelct hard to get stuff.The value of the effort to learn magic from books.Sponge balls and theri core slightsJerry SadowitzTannens Magic Camp and Nicks experience from being a teacher there.Teaching secrets to kidsImportance of feeling Mastery for kids in the learning process.Foam BananasChristopher T Magician's book Beyond Look Dont SeeSubtleties of what secrets to put in a book of magic meant for the general public.Stuff published, but can a PRO really do a routine from a bookMaking it your ownBillet work and how the good workers makes them dissapear from the aundience's memories."Vetting" magiciansThe pleasures of having someone do your material.Choosing material you can/should do.Me seeing Jason England perform card magic, jamming whilst I was out to lunch with Nick Mac King and Jason England and he completely fried me with the craziest card work.Rythms in comedy.Structuring you magic acts.People glazing over when barraged with too much magic...Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In November it's Nick Difatte month along the Way of the Showman. We have a wideranging and circuitous conversation. We touch on the following topics and many more.What is a masterclassSecrets Nick's book Offbeat by Squash Publishing is sold out, but will be back in print…It's got essays one which was a big topic in the previous episode with Nick (E113)Mentor Tyler Ericson.Learning cheatingSecret collecting. And becoming overwhelmed by having too many tricks. Many of those who have the most tricks have non to perform when asked.What's being displayed in secrets is what you see. Magic what's “really going on” is hidden.Oriental magic done by white folks. Okito, Fu Manchu, Chung Ling Soo by Jim Steinmeier.The importance of being fooled to remember what it's like. Rekindle the passion.The importance of searching for secrets to value them.Amateurs doing it for the love of it, not the money. Using the money they make from work to buy secrets.Old men in magic. SO old they piss their pants…We talk about what we wanted to talk about the next time. Do we follow up these things? Tune into next episode to find out…Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

After last weeks little sidetrack exploring m own evolving relationship of love to my daughter we are ready to conclude how love is the foundation and origin for the human play impulse and drive. This of course will be pointing at how love is also the foundation of Showmanship. Love is necesary to full acknowledge the existence of Others, and to enter into a relationship with them is to reach out in love. In doing so we enter into the relaxed field of human interaction. A way not just of plaing, but of affording ourselves and others a space to maximize their freedom.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

Over the last six months or so there has been a development in my relationship to my daughter. It is something any father will go through, but I look at it through the lens of a travelling performer. My daughter is growing up and is beginning to find her own way in the world. She is separating and becoming herself and in the process I am being left behind. But a significant development that has come to fruition over the last month might offer us a way to relate into the future. A sollution that mirrors my own relationship to my father and which is continuing the intergenerational transmission of the secret knowledge of Showmanship.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode I explore the impact and influence our playful behaviour has had on our development as human beings. I belive it quite profoundly have changed not just our psychology and behaviour but also our bodies.I share a deeply personal story of the first couple of hours in my daughter's life and how it birthed a new and deeper kind of love.The father's role in raising babies and children.The tribe's role in raising babies and children. The love, which first appeared in Mother grew to include the father and the tribe and in this we all played a role in affording a child a relaxed field, where that child can flourish outside of the restriction of natural selection. Where the child gets to express only themselves and act only in accordance with themselves. (in an idealised situation of course as there always will be tribal, societal, and individual influences)Child is a social glue. It brings us together in the childbirth, in the rearing of the child, it connects us. It continues in how families are brought together through our shared interest and care for and responsibility for the child.We sit around the fire like we sit around a child.they trigger conversations and stories that emerge because we sit around a child. They shape us and the stories we tell. THere are other stories told around the fire in the dark, and there are particular stories that are told because there are children are present.RELAXED FIELD - the space where play happens and where we are the most fully human.relaxed pressure from the four f'sforaging, fighting, fleeing and fornicating.which is what we have to do. (if we dont o these succesfully we perish)the things we choose to do. (what we choose to do with the time given to us)Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

Jay Gilligan is back! we go through his questions about episodes 103 & 104 to concretise some of the points I am making about Play and performance.some of the topics we touch=:-How to foster a playful connection at the beginning of your show.-Is there such a thing as a bad audience?-fulfilling audience expectations whilst still surprising them.-In facing the Audience we are showing, and they are receiving - yet we expect and desire them to participate, to live themselves into the performance. Without which there never emerges the full Show experience.-You get Attention by giving Attention.-My ways of getting Attention in my first street show back in 1997.-Jay runs away from a street show with crazy consequences.-All focus on one thing. Audience and Showman alike. Makes a powerful point.-We create a different kind of time. Play time. Sacred time.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

Why are we born so helpless. The answer will takes us through the history of human evolution and into the dualling biological need of a growing human head and the anatomical changes coming from our upright walking.Support the Show....Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode I talk aboutPeter Gray and his book Free to Learn - Why unleasing the instinc to play will make our children happier, more self-reliant, and better students for life.We talk about how play is learning. how we today think about play as something which is dont to children. Not something they actively participate and even lead. for 10.000 years + kids have been learning all by themselves - THROUGH PLAYKids play themselve into useful members of their communities.When we play we are FREE in a way we arent in other aspects of life.Chimpanzees learn by looking, not by being taught.The amount of things infants needs to learn is almost insurmountablePlayfully participating in life gets imbedded in us and helps us emotionally able to deal with life.WIthout playing in childhood you can get difficulties in your emotional connections with others as an adult. ANd many other problems become more prevalent.Kids has the strongest desire to play because the have the most to learn.Playful aproaches to the world affords more possibilites. It increases your degrees of freedom.The colonialisation of childhood by others.Abusing play as a tool for teaching. BUT play needs to be self motivated. It needs to be voluntary.Adults think play is useful only when it can be harnessed to teach something from the decided upon by adults from the curriculum.Learning happens INSIDE the school and play outside. This is a subtle indoctrination. The serious that happens inside the classroom is of value. The time wasting play happens outside in recess.Play is learning as nature intended it for us. Driven by enthusiasm and not to do well on a standardized test.Playing teaches each of us how to be ourselves! It shows us who we are! Learning is not JUST what happens in schools.its not something you buys. Its what you do in the process of developing yourself as a human being.Biology does not give us built in answers to what it means to be a human. It has given a method to aquire answers. This method is play. This way of being in the world is HOW evolution has equiped us to find ourselves and our WAY.Quote from the manuscript:Genes and biology isn't giving us readymade answers hardwired to solve the difficulties of becoming and staying human. Instead of giving us answers which, as all answers, can be right or wrong, or useful or useless, nature has given us a process to aquire answers. Evolution gave us a method, or an approach to generate answers, not individual answers. This process is play. Perhaps schoolsSupport the Show....Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

This is a conversaiton with one of the funniest guys I know. He's had me laughing so hard I had to get partially undressed. We talk about magic and comedy and their intersection before landing on a long explorations of how to select and manage audience volunteers. Nick is an expert at handling volunteers and gets SO much out of the people he gets up, I try to learn from him.You can find out about Nick Difatte on his websiteNick has written a brillian book on magic called Offbeat (it's sold out but will soon be reissued) published by Squash Publishing creators of some of the hottest books on magic.we talk about:the Great Santini's toaster (my dad's magic invention)Steen Pegani - danish magic shop owner and all around good guy.Mortenn Christiansen - link to him on Penn & Teller's Fool UsNick blows my mind with the news that he is writing and editing a chapter in Richard Kaufman's re-release of Greater Magic. The chapter will be on comedy magic.Borrowin/stealing/reinventingbecoming an original performer.saving the earth with a yo yoAuthenticityFinding shit no one cares aboutcostume as character amplifier and definerme loosing my shit seeing Nick perform for the first time.worst "emotional speech" in a show ever...being funnier off sage and how to transfer this to stage.choosing volunteersoffbeat, Nick's book is sold out.Amazing Johnatan as example of a masterful use of and control of audience volunteers.Nick on getting along with older guys and how to harness this in his ShowsSupport the Show....Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode I continue describing the ways we find the play impulse, or the activity of play, manifesting in the world. I start by talking about learning.-The next way play emerges is through Imagination.-Then we look at how, quite obviously, play manifest thorugh actual playfulness.-We procede to Sociality.-Then I find in Rutger Bregman's summary of these manifestations into "Learn, bond and Play."Support the Show....Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

Adults and children spend their days differently - we work, babies play. Play is the signature of childhood. It's a living, visible manifestation of imagination and learning I action.Allison GopnikIf play is a constant and a genuine human drive, how do we recognise it when we see it in the world? Or more specifically; in which kind of behaviours does play manifest itself? We have looked at the five specific criteria, or characteristics of play, it's fun and enjoyable, seemingly purposeless, it's self motivated, there are rules involved, and it's a free and imaginative improvisation. Each of these five criteria are characteristics of the process we call play, but in the same way a person is multifaceted and must be expressed through more than five specific features, I would expect that we could get a better grasp of what the play instinct looks like by finding more ways it manifests itself in the world. What kind of behaviours or attributes are playful? To answer this question I think it would be good to start looking at those who plays the most, those whom for play is their natural way of being in the world; children.Then I look at the first of the manifestations of the play impulse which I believe is curiosity.Links:Here's some info on Ashley Montague.Here's the goodreads link to Montague's book Growing Young and here's a write up about the book in the New York TimesThis is an interview with Tyson Yunkaporta who's wonderful book Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World is a good and worthwhile read.Support the Show....Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

"Instincts are the whispers of our ancestors." - Quote by yours truly.In this episode we explore whether our inclination to play might actually be an innate human drive. Do we human beings possess an instinct to play? If so, how and why would something like that evolve?By understanding how something came into being we often learn valuable lessons today. Also, if it turns out that humans does have a play instinct, and I believe we do, then this is a powerful indicator that play is a whole lot more important than "just something kids do."Links: To unpack the concept of flow a little more here is a TED talk by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi who coined the term.Maileg Mice - a link so you can see how these cute Danish toy mice looks.Peter Gray is an American psychology researcher and scholar we will talk about Along the Way. Here is a TED talk by him so you can familiarize yourself with him and his ideas. And here is a longer talk about Learning Through PlayHere's a link to the article about injuries in children's sports:"sports injuries are the second leading cause of emergency room visits for children and adolescents, and the second leading cause of injuries in school." Finite and infinite games by James CarseSupport the Show....Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode I finish up the unpacking of the five criteria of play. As we go on these five points will be the backbone of our inquiry. Much like how using Showman - Audience & Show as a symbol or mnemonic picture which affords us a lot of understanding, these five criteria will expand our understanding of play, and by transferral how it connects and relates to all aspects of life. The five are as follows:1 - Play is fun. It's intensely pleasurable and enjoyable. So when we play we don't want it to stop.2 - Play is self motivated, which means it has to be entered into voluntarily.3 - Play is apparently purposeless. We play for the sake of playing not to achieve some further goal.4 - Play has rules.5 - Play is imaginative and improvisational.Links:The Norwegian book called Lek og Læring i et Nevro perspektiv  (play and learning in a neuro perspective) Here are some links, One, two, three. The third one is a link to a podcast with an interview with one of the two authors. BE WARNED the links are all in Norwegian, but with the help of google and our AI overlords you'll be reading it in no time, in a language more suitable to your horizon of understanding.the Kingdom of Childhood episode of the Way of the ShowmanPeter Gray's Aeon.co article on Play DeficitFor your selfstudy: Henri Bergson on the possible and the actual.Finite and infinite games by James CarseSupport the Show....Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode I talk to Jellyboy the Clown about his book Memoirs of a Coney Island Clown. I learn a lot about him and how closely our experiences mirror eachother. There are some tragic details about suicide in this episode - be warned, if you need such a warning."Embark on an unforgettable journey alongside Jelly Boy in "Memoirs of a Coney Island Clown: Jellyboy's Sideshow Saga." Following the heart-wrenching loss of his brother, Jelly Boy is catapulted into a whirlwind of unexpected adventures. From the depths of grief to the serendipitous role of a clown, his odyssey defies convention at every turn."I loved reading the book and I think you'll love it too! You can order a copy here: https://outsidetalkerpress.bigcartel.com/product/memoirs-of-a-coney-island-clown-jellyboy-s-sideshow-sagaSupport the Show....Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode I continue to unpack the five criterias of play. The five are as follows:1 - Play is fun. It's intensely pleasurable and enjoyable. So when we play we don't want it to stop.2 - Play is self motivated, which means it has to be entered into voluntarily.3 - Play is apparently purposeless. We play for the sake of playing not to achieve some further goal.4 - Play has rules.5 - Play is imaginative and improvisational.Links:The Norwegian book called Lek og Læring i et Nevro perspektiv  (play and learning in a neuro perspective) Here are some links, One, two, three. The third one is a link to a podcast with an interview with one of the two authors. BE WARNED the links are all in Norwegian, but with the help of google and our AI overlords you'll be reading it in no time, in a language more suitable to your horizon of understanding.the Kingdom of Childhood episode of the Way of the ShowmanPeter Gray's Aeon.co article on Play DeficitFor your selfstudy: Henri Bergson on the possible and the actual.Finite and infinite games by James CarseThis is a link to a talk by Doctor Stuart Brown who's the author of “Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul” (2010) by Stuart BrownSupport the Show....Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode Jay Gilligan brings up a few questions relating to episodes 3 & 4 in my exploration of Showmanship and Play (number 96 & 98). -We talk about what its like to talk to people about something which does not have an easy answer. A fortune cookie once told me "to every complex problem there is always a simple answer - and its usually wrong."-Jay asks if my process exhausts me. Always keeping all kinds of writing and projects searching for connections in me, does that exhaust me?-Why find connections? Why map one thing onto others?-What does it mean to be an artist.-Metaphor is a way to access reality. How metaphor and imagination affords us our understanding of the world (and ourselves)-Seeing similarity through dissimilarities. Discover greater patterns. Lakof and Johnston Metaphors we Live by.-My new presentation of the classic magic trick called the Die Box.-Jay asks me: Did you come up with the concept Active reading?we explore where it came from and how its influenced Jay's thinking.-Responsibility to engage with tasks and challanges whether in life of in circus school.-We got to be actively engaged in whats happening. When we are doing our thing, but also when others are doing that.-I say we need to be able to develop a language and way to understand all the "other Disciplines" as reality is you will most likely be in shows with other artists which does other things than you. Each circus most commonly only hires one juggler. One guy squeezing through tennis rackets.We have a responisility to make a task in school, or a thing in real life, interesting. If the task or challange sucks. Change it and make it good....Support the Show....Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode I catch up with an old friend, a unique and philosophically inclined comedian and clown Mr Trent Birdmann. We talk about our shows together, our thoughts on our past, present and the uncertainties about the future. We share stories and insights about our lives as Showmen trying to make it in the modern world.You can find Trent Baumann on Instagramm and Facebook by searching for his name.You can find out more about him on his website.Support the Show....Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode I unpack the five criterias of play. The five are as follows:1 - Play is fun. It's intensely pleasurable and enjoyable. So when we play we don't want it to stop.2 - Play is self motivated, which means it has to be entered into voluntarily.3 - Play is apparently purposeless. We play for the sake of playing not to achieve some further goal.4 - Play has rules.5 - Play is imaginative and improvisational.Links:The Norwegian book called Lek og Læring i et Nevro perspektiv  (play and learning in a neuro perspective) Here are some links, One, two, three. The third one is a link to a podcast with an interview with one of the two authors. BE WARNED the links are all in Norwegian, but with the help of google and our AI overlords you'll be reading it in no time, in a language more suitable to your horizon of understanding.the Kingdom of Childhood episode of the Way of the ShowmanPeter Gray's Aeon.co article on Play DeficitFor your selfstudy: Henri Bergson on the possible and the actual.Finite and infinite games by James CarseThis is a link to a talk by Doctor Stuart Brown who's the author of “Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul” (2010) by Stuart BrownSupport the Show....Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode I take you on a walk with my little dog Teddy and along the Way we encounter play in a very direct way.Then I let you take a sneak peak at my daughter and her kind of play.Then we look at trying to define play is like pinning a butterfly.From all these examples I distill the nature of play down to five criteria which will be the backbone of all our future explorations. SO, being this important I will write them out here so the two or three of you who reads this can benefit.The five criteria of play:1 - Play is fun. It's intensely pleasurable and enjoyable. So when we play we don't want it to stop.2 - Play is self motivated, which means it has to be entered into voluntarily.3 - Play is apparently purposeless. We play for the sake of playing not to achieve some further goal.4 - Play has rules.5 - Play is imaginative and improvisational.Support the Show....Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode Jay Gilligan asks me to explain and elaborate some details about a previous episode. The main part of this season (4) is the 30 episodes that explores and makes my argument for how the very deepest origins of Showmanship can be found in human play as well as building a powerful argument for this dual trait of Showmanship & Play lies at the heart of what it means to be a human being.The episodes deals with some very deep and philosophical ideas and my friend and co-host thought it would be good to make me explainmyself some more. For this I am truly greatful and I hope it is useful and interesting for you to Fellow Traveller.Link:This is a link to an essay by Henri Corbin about the Imaginal. It's called Mundus Imaginalis or the Imaginary and the ImaginalAs I mention in the opening comments of the episode I confuse Henri Corbin with the wonderful french philosopher Henri Bergson. My mistake only goes as far as claiming I watched a lecture course on him, but that course was actually about Bergson, not Corbin. So, when it comes down to it I know more about Bergson than Corbin and this lecture course is why. Here is a link to that lecture series about Henri Bergson. Its from the excellent youtube channel Absurd Being.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode I seek general features of what happens in the Area of Interest, or in Shows. I talk about Nalle Laanela's book the Clown Manifesto and how it helped me understand that two key features of performance and Shows are Connection and Playfulness.links:Nalle's wonderful book the Clown ManifestoSupport the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

This is a celebratory episode along the lines of my previous audio poetic endeavours in episode 21 and 42. This is an epic poem which initially was called The Rime of the Ancient Merrier.Merrier |ˈmerēər|noun (mer•ri•er) 1 one who brings happiness to others. 2 a simple or special person, trad. considered blessed or touched by God. 3 a fool or a clownORIGIN Old English myrige [pleasing, delightful,] of Germanic origin; related to mirth.This ode to Caliope, (which is both the Muse of epic poetry and a steam organ played along the midway of carnivals) chronicals one lone showman making his Way through the world. After life falls apart in the old world he boards a ship to the New World but life does not become any easier, in fact it gets a whole lot worse before he even gets there.Follow it through to the end. Remember when the dark is the most complete we become able to spot even the tiniest lights.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode we try something new. Jay Gilligan has listened to my new season about Play & Showmanship and he found that there were several points in the episode  he wanted to know more about. He recorded some snippets with some AI app that he has and he reads me the unedited transcriptions of these and we have a great and DEEP conversation about the morals of Attention. How paying close Attention actually shapes what it is - or at the very least your perception of it. How you are and what you think will bleed through what you do in your act. How we understand what we do is of the utmost importance for ourselves.What does Captain Frodo mean when he says that someone is "authentic" and how do we get to this point with our characters?About the importance of the ACTUAL ENCOUNTER. About really being present in the moment, the miracle of sharing time together, not apart but together.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode I make one more example of a metaphor of my own making. I believe this to be a particularly fertile example, by which I mean a deep and powerful metaphor. Using the uncanny similarity of the geometry of triangles with the process of Showmanship. Looking at the two side by side I belive we can get insights into the nature of our Craft of performance that can be hard to picture and grasp only looking at it abstractly. In many ways the geometry of the triangle is like an explanatory illustration demonstrating pictorially what happens when a Showman presents his Material for an Audience and the phenomena of Show emerge between the two.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

I didn't think it would happen. Not this birtday ramble nor that I would be back in Las Vegas, nor that I would be here with Cirque du Soleil! But I am back on all those fronts and yet again I am humbled by my own lack of ability to accurately predict the unfolding events of my life. BUT I am beyond grateful that it all conspired to be this Way.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode I talk about viewing the world through the lens of Showmanship. This is something I say at the beginning of each episode and it is what this podcast is all about. I talk about how to look and what the lens is. So, this episode has as its aim to allow you a clearer idea of what it means and to be able to look at the world in the same way, if you so choose.This is a topic which prepares us for what is about to come, and which sheds light on how I arrive at my ideas and conclusions.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode I lay how what Showmanship is, as I see it. If we are to work out what the origins of something is, particularly if the origins lay deep in prehistory, then chances are there has been a great deal of change to the thing. Sometimes so much that it is hard to recognice it. SO, to be able to know what the origins are we must know what the relevant and unchanging elements of the evolving thing we seek to understand. Last episode I talked about the evolutionary history of the whale and how one of the key elements that's used to trace its transformation from land animal to sea animal is some bones in its inner ear. In this episode I describe a Show as related to Henri Corbin's Imaginal Realm. And I make the claim that what a Show is, which is a different level of reality, other than normal life, where ordinary objects and words and images become symbolic and poetic and filled with meaning. It is a purely human kind of relation and a uniquely human experience. So, this realm of experience we call show, is the thing we will use as our lodestone to keep us on track as we venture back into prehistory.links:Henri Corbin and the Imaginal Realmthe Cabaret sensation and huge part of my life: La Soiree & La CliqueSupport the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode we start a whole new project. We revert back to the format of the first 60, or so, episodes where I share my own ideas with you. The subject for this 4th season will be Showmanship & Play. Or, how Showmanship is like Play and what we can learn from seeing it as such.links:Here is a link to the whole season of PBS series about evolution.Here is a link to the specific episode about the evolution of whales.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this conversation we talk further about making choices and how learning to understand why we take the choices we do about what we do on stage we develop clarity of expression which is the foundation stone of a good artist.some of the things we talk about:-Why did you do that? I dont know is not a good enough answer.-Concretise your choices and intentions-We are after a statement of value in your answer- How do we refine our artistic sense of judgement?-Developing a common language amongst teacher and student allows us to express ourselves to each othert.-This must also happen in a show/performance situation. We must develop a shared language with our audience without the benefit of a year of relations during study. So can we  take these ideas from the learning and apply them to performance?-tell me / show me that you have made choices and that you have a unity of intention in these choices.-Intention must exist and be visible in the work-Communicate intent-"Make sure everything in the show is important" Tom Greder.if the audience figures that parts of the show isnt important to you then their trust in the show and interest might unravvel.-How to make the act/show express something...Do I like it? ... Do something... ask is this expressing what I want it to... about whatever subject I want to express?be that subject or idea global warming or just "I want a show that makes me money."-Formulating questions gives you a standard upon which you can judge whether something belongs in the show or not.Is it good? Does it further the themes and ideas we want to explore?-Be a good editorClarity of vision can rivet children watching modern dance. Claire Parsons.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episode I ask Jay Gilligan to tell me about how he makes his ideas concrete to his students at the circus school in Stockholm.-How  this relates to performance abstract and concrete or narrative-Circus appears frivolous when seen in most cases, academic thought in universities might make contributions to unpacking how its not, but this academization of circus as a subject might impinge on the students who, arguably, most of all are there because they need a foundation of technical skill.-Clarity of artistic expression.-Making choices-What should I do first?-Doubt and indecision-Do something then ask: do I like that? if answer is yes, more on. If answer is no ask yourself: Why don't I like it.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

In this episoe I try to get Ivar Hackscher and Jay Gilligan to help me further my understanding about the difference between concrete and abstract performance. The topic is complex and our routes into its terrain circuitous.Some of the topics touched on:-Necessity, freedom and play.Arthus Zajonc's book Meditation as contemplative inquiry-How does thoughts and words pop into our minds as response to stimuli from the world or even ourselves?-A juggling exercise where one juggler has to respond to a short juggling trick done by another juggler with a juggling trick of their own. Like a no rule juggling dialogue.-How this question of what comes next in a dialogue relates to plant morphonogy and metamorphosis-Audience sacrifices time and attention when watching a performancethought, feeling and action.-Finding a line of inquiry and following it to the end - conclusion.-It's time to let artforms use us artists rather than the other way around.-What does each artform want to express?Each one has a sweet spot for what it expresses.-Can we expect audiences to ever reliably see in our work what we put, or think we put into it?-on the difference between pictures and performance.-Act as Organism-The attraction we have to watching skill is similar to the attraction we feel towards watching ideas thought through to the end.-whats the place for virtouosity today?-300 years ago people wanted to see perfection. This is not as key today. They want something real.emotional telegraphing is particularly attractive today. Maybe more so than technical skill.-Life and warmth in performance-Perfect means that something is done. Finished.-We dont listen to hear that final chord.-Rennesaince music often ends open ended-Joan Miro and Jackson Pollock and the relation of meaning, intent and ideas in abstract art-Jackson Pollock was a dancer more than a painter. The paintings are what's left behind after his dances. So full of will and action.-I see so much abstract art which doesnt say anything to me.-Juggling IS abstract so to just juggle is NOT TAKING ANY CHOICES-Abstract with inteniton. If we notice intention its no longer "abstract nonsense"-If you dont have intention and that's not visible then we get confused work.-Why is there so little intent isible in so much abstract work?-A lot of artists get away with being lazy.-Artists often rely on the structures of the artform like the way an audience sits in a theatre and necesarrily have to watch the show unfolding in time and must assume that each thing that happens on the stage is related to what came before. PerfSupport the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo