the Way of the Showman

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...After a long abscence our Merch Shop is back! Check out t-shirts, hoddies, and hats! Show yourself as a Follower of the Way of the Showman.You can also "listen" to the Way of the Showman at youtube.If 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 anyhthing ou can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comYou can find out more on the Way of the Showman website.Follow the Way of the Showman on Instagram.If you're compelled to suport the showes and 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...After a long abscence our Merch Shop is back! Check out t-shirts, hoddies, and hats! Show yourself as a Follower of the Way of the Showman.You can also "listen" to the Way of the Showman at youtube.If 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 anyhthing ou can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comYou can find out more on the Way of the Showman website.Follow the Way of the Showman on Instagram.If you're compelled to suport the showes and 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...After a long abscence our Merch Shop is back! Check out t-shirts, hoddies, and hats! Show yourself as a Follower of the Way of the Showman.You can also "listen" to the Way of the Showman at youtube.If 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 anyhthing ou can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comYou can find out more on the Way of the Showman website.Follow the Way of the Showman on Instagram.If you're compelled to suport the showes and 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...After a long abscence our Merch Shop is back! Check out t-shirts, hoddies, and hats! Show yourself as a Follower of the Way of the Showman.You can also "listen" to the Way of the Showman at youtube.If 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 anyhthing ou can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comYou can find out more on the Way of the Showman website.Follow the Way of the Showman on Instagram.If you're compelled to suport the showes and 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...After a long abscence our Merch Shop is back! Check out t-shirts, hoddies, and hats! Show yourself as a Follower of the Way of the Showman.You can also "listen" to the Way of the Showman at youtube.If 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 anyhthing ou can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comYou can find out more on the Way of the Showman website.Follow the Way of the Showman on Instagram.If you're compelled to suport the showes and have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

Nick Difatte, an astounding performer from Cirque du Soleil's Mad Apple, dives deep into the mystical world of magic and performance. He discusses the essence of masterclasses versus traditional teaching and the importance of mentorship in honing magical skills. The conversation touches on the allure of secrets and the overwhelming number of tricks that don’t always translate to performance. Difatte also reflects on identity and cultural appropriation in magic, revealing the emotional journey behind magic tricks and the vibrant community spirit among amateur magicians.

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...After a long abscence our Merch Shop is back! Check out t-shirts, hoddies, and hats! Show yourself as a Follower of the Way of the Showman.You can also "listen" to the Way of the Showman at youtube.If 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 anyhthing ou can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comYou can find out more on the Way of the Showman website.Follow the Way of the Showman on Instagram.If you're compelled to suport the showes and 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...After a long abscence our Merch Shop is back! Check out t-shirts, hoddies, and hats! Show yourself as a Follower of the Way of the Showman.You can also "listen" to the Way of the Showman at youtube.If 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 anyhthing ou can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comYou can find out more on the Way of the Showman website.Follow the Way of the Showman on Instagram.If you're compelled to suport the showes and 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...After a long abscence our Merch Shop is back! Check out t-shirts, hoddies, and hats! Show yourself as a Follower of the Way of the Showman.You can also "listen" to the Way of the Showman at youtube.If 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 anyhthing ou can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comYou can find out more on the Way of the Showman website.Follow the Way of the Showman on Instagram.If you're compelled to suport the showes and 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...After a long abscence our Merch Shop is back! Check out t-shirts, hoddies, and hats! Show yourself as a Follower of the Way of the Showman.You can also "listen" to the Way of the Showman at youtube.If 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 anyhthing ou can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comYou can find out more on the Way of the Showman website.Follow the Way of the Showman on Instagram.If you're compelled to suport the showes and have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo