Injury makes for a good routine!

Hello all, it's now 2:00am in NZ, and I've just limped into the house with an egg shaped lump under my left knee, and an inch of split skin on top of the lump.

I was doing a fast figure 8 while busking and smashed myself under the kneecap twice as hard as I ever had before.

Without relaising exactly how much damage i'd done, I hammed it up for the crowd, limping everywhere and pretending that I couldn't ride my uncycle because of the sore knee,

They loved it! I played on limping slightly, then suddenly 'remembering' to limp and drag the foot and it became a great in-joke for everyone watching. The hat got a lot more coins in it too as I limped along in fron of everyone, dragging my foot as if it had died.

I'm pretty sore now, though it just looks like a massive swollen bruise (fingers crossed).

I think I'm going to look into rountines that incorporate injuries into part of the act from now on.

A whole new idea yet to be explored (well, by me anyway)...

reminds me of a time last summer me and a few friends were juggling down by this lake in Leytonstone. Loads of kids and familys had been stopping to watch all day. At some point my mate Ben was up in a tree. I tried to flick a devil stick balanced on the handstick up for him to catch it balancing on his toe!! Unfortunately it bounced straight back off the branch and hit me clean in the middle of my forehead giving me a massive bloody gash! For the rest of the afternoon we'd still atract the kids who'd drag their parents across to see us untill they got close enougth to see my forehead then we got a fair few weeping chiderlers!!

Just be careful with that Charles...as it can come back to bite you. I know a performer (juggler type) who would ham up injuries, and eventually he didn't get hired anywhere. People were getting upset that he was "always" injured.
Same thing with a fire eater I know who singes his beard, every single time..... It is a really fine line to wobble on.
My suggestion (not that you asked ) is to do the really obvious clown injury (where it is overly exaggerated) right before the end, ham it up and use it as an exit motivation. This way it doesn't get drawn out or overdone for the crowd and comes at a time when you can play it up for money!

That was basically what I was thinking of, by alternating between 'forgetting' to have the injury and 'remembering' to have the injury a few times so that people know its a ham, and not requiring medical attention.

A joke is only a joke if people know you're joking, otherwise its just a lie...

Ok, Charles. But if you actually hurt youself, I'll have to go down to NZ and hurt you worse.

Try the "Lets light my hair on fire and run around in circles smacking your own head to put out the flames" routine nearing the end of the performance, the sympathy money you pull is almost worth it!

Sorry to heasr that
please take care
see you soon


shine on
cassandra

I actually have had several thoughts about this!

Nice one Charles

Anyhow... I think its quite funny and good for certain performances. Busking is fun and you can add a theatrical touch to the show as opposed to spinning or juggling just for the novelty...

Wicked idea!

And get well soon! I hope its not that bad.

love and hugs
drome