Monkey puppet works great!

I got my monkey puppet from Taylor’s Magic shop in Sydney over a year ago. And I have slowly been introducing new routines into my act which include the monkey.

My only regret is that I did not begin to use the monkey puppet sooner. It is an absolute wonder as it introduces a new dynamic that one would need a second performer for but can now be accomplished with the puppet. The great comedy bits which include scenarios of misunderstanding, non-cooperation, or pushing the other performer out of their comfort zone can all be done with the use of a puppet. These simplistic scenarios are not to be undervalued. Comedy for a young audience is challenging as their energy can end up so highly charged that with the wrong elements a performer can end up in big trouble. A lively performance can make the show interesting but it can also come across as just so much static filled noise. This gives the audience little direction and they will end up finding a direction of their own. This may take the shape of the most avid attention seeker in the crowd deciding to take over or it may take the form of someone starting the dreaded chant.

The chant can be anything from “Take your hat off! Take your hat off! Take your hat off! Take your hat off!” to “Eat it!Eat it!Eat it!Eat it!Eat it!Eat it!Eat it!Eat it!”

This is a very unfavorable situation to end up in and requires emergency procedures to avoid the next step which can easily develop into the little ones storming the magician.

For a performer to not have a microphone will place him at a distinct disadvantage. As the volume of 15 to 30 little voices can not be matched by a singular voice without special training. And if they can’t follow what your saying it won’t make a difference anyway.

So what is the solution? Preventative care! Do everything to prevent the chant from starting. If you ever use a phrase in your show that can easily be chanted and you find that the kids start chanting, drop that phrase from your next show. Also set up the audience with a clear framework by stating how the show works. This should be part of the introductory warm-up and interspersed with a few laughs.

I started this post talking about my monkey puppet. So you may be wondering, “Should I try to use a puppet to regain control of the audience?” I’d lean toward replying”No” because the audience won’t be in the right mood to start with and also you have to decide whether the puppet can be easily fixed as the frenzy can be channeled toward your puppet and it may not be in a usable state after such an encounter.

But it works great at keeping the show going and keeping the audience engaged and preventing the show from spiraling into chaos.

Monkey tries to do a magic trick.