Schools workshops, new tricks and fun parties

Phew, no rest for the wicked I think is the saying. Well I'm not wicked I know that but I have a wicked workload at the moment.

Since finishing the Christmas run at Warwick Castle, Jingles and I have come up with a skeleton show for our next run at Easter and already have some good ideas so watch this space.

I've been head long into the schools market, I'm working with two schools in the coming weeks with 2 very different packages.

At one in Warwick I'll be spending an hour or so with 5 classes ranging from Kindergarten through to F1 age (4&5 years). We'll be reading my favourite book all about life in a real castle and pretending you were there (Stories for Boys, In a Castle, published by Usborne). Then the children will be getting all dressed up as their favourite characters, expect lots of Knights and Princesses and very few Gong Farmers and Foot Soldiers. Then we'll have a mini Jester academy where they can tell their best or worst jokes, spin some plates and have a go at balancing things just like a Jester does.

At a school in Solihull I'll be performing a mini fairy tale called "The Royal Boil" which is an original piece I've written to show the children who are 5&6 what goes into putting on a real show. So they're making the props,   supplying the costumes. making the sound effects and acting the roles as well. It's a fun way to show them all the different people and jobs that go into a show. The day starts with a half hour introduction to the day where I tell them what the plan is in some more detail and then I perform a 10 minute prelude to their show which takes the story up to a key point. I'l then spend the morning with the performers and sounds team who will run through their parts with me getting used to moving on stage and coordinating with each other so that they are ready to go. Then after lunch it's time with the artists who have made all the props, staging, costumes etc. Making sure they know how to move their pieces of scenery and when.

We'll all have about an hour together then to rehearse the whole piece before a grand finale show before home time. The actual show for the children is only 10 minutes but it incorporates acting, sound effects and 2 real stage magic illusions that they will perform.

In amongst this I'm busy with birthday parties, christenings, wedding enquiries and I'm pleased to say bookings. On that note I'm also working with a great Medieval Re-enactor and performer called Mark Vance and his talented Musician wife Lou and her band Stingo to put together a really unique Medieval Wedding package for venues such as Warwick Castle. So watch this space.

I'm also busy practising lots of new magic tricks I'm working into my act and trying to decide whether I should offer more of a DJ service at parties as well.

But for now, rest!

3 Weeks and Christas 2009 is done!

 Well, 3 weeks, 7 days a week, 1 day off and 3 shows a day! Boy that was some intensive run, especially in the cold all day every day.. but what fun.

After all that preparation, rehearsal, costume design, scripting, choreography it all came together to give us the best Christmas show ever.

With dancing Santa's, Hairy Mary the Christmas Fairy, Illusions, snow and good a old fashioned sing along we really brought the magic of Christmas to Warwick Castle.

Videos and photos to follow soon, but now it's time to thaw out, grab some R&R and then to crack on with Schools shows and parties this weekend.

See you all soon.