the Way of the Showman

Nov 11 2024 121 ep. 55 mins 54
the Way of the Showman Podcast artwork

Philosophical and esoteric perspectives from a modern day Showman. 
Each season is different in its approach. S1 is essays. S2 is one book length attempt at Understanding Showmanship, S3 is conversations with remarkable Showfolk. The brand new Season 4 explores the relationship between Showmanship and Play.
The host, Captain Frodo, internationally renowned circus performer, director, writer, husband and dad lays out, in great detail, his practical performance philosophy for performers who seek to deepen the conversation with their audiences and themselves. You can find him, and more of his writing at: www.thewayoftheshowman.com

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120 - SECRETS!!! with Nick Difatte (part 1 of 2)

Nov 11 2024 67 mins  
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.Le

119 - Love as Origin of Play pt 2 of 2 (Showmanship & Play 16)

Oct 28 2024 43 mins  
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

118 - Father & Showman - Reflections on my Evolving Relationship with my Daughter

Oct 14 2024 40 mins  
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 develop

117 - Love as Origin of Play pt 1 of 2 - What we Have to do VS What we Choose to do (Showmanship & Play 15)

Sep 30 2024 39 mins  
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

116 - Jay & Frodo How to Play in Performance - (Unpacking episodes 103 & 104)

Sep 16 2024 142 mins  
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 sho

115 - Why Are We Born so Helpless (Showmanship & Play 14)

Sep 02 2024 37 mins  
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 pa

114 - Play as Self Creation (Showmanship & Play 13)

Aug 19 2024 60 mins  
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 learnin

113 - Nick Difatte & Audience Volunteers

Aug 12 2024 79 mins  
This is a conversation 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

112 - How Play Manifests in the World pt 2 of 2 (Showmanship & Play 12)

Aug 05 2024 64 mins  
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 "

111 - How Play Manifests in the World pt 1 of 2 (Showmanship & Play 11)

Jul 22 2024 43 mins  
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