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the Way of the ShowmanAuthor: Captain Frodo
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 Language: en-us Genres: Arts, Performing Arts, Philosophy, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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176 - Artifact - Jay Gilligan talks creating a show with Erik Aaberg
Episode 176
Monday, 31 August, 2026
What happens when you have a clear artistic vision for a new circus school show, but the funding catalog expires, the gatekeepers want something “easy to book,” and the words you use accidentally make it sound like a museum? Captain Frodo sits down with Jay Gilligan to unpack the very real behind-the-scenes story of making Artifact, a contemporary circus and juggling performance built around historical objects, natural history vibes, and the strange power of letting kids experience “real art” in a school gym or library.We talk through why the Swedish school show market matters, how public cultural funding shapes what gets made, and why circus performers can feel both grateful and trapped by the system. Jay breaks down his company’s signature structure of short vignettes and strong visual images, the recurring audience comment “you didn’t do anything,” and the constant challenge of translating an abstract live experience into a concrete pitch that producers and teachers can instantly understand.Then the creation story turns messy in the best way: a bold interactive idea gets rejected on semantics, meetings slowly erode the plan, budget gets spent early, and the team has to commit anyway. The payoff is a premiere that validates the original instinct, plus a practical tool you can steal for your own creative work: gate one (presenters and administrators), gate two (the audience), and gate three (the performer’s need to enjoy the show). Subscribe, share this with a maker friend, and leave a review if you want more honest craft talk from the world of circus, magic, and 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
