Performing With Balloons

by Patrick Brown

Hello everyone. The summer season is winding down and the school show season is starting up. It's time to start working on shows for Halloween and Christmas seasons. In this months article we are going to discuss two balloon bits. They can be used separate or together as part of a full balloon comedy routine. These two bits are based on classic clown bits, but we are substituting the standard props with ones made from balloons. This, in some instances, is a great way to make routines that are based on balloons. The first routine is done with the wilting flower. The wilting flower used by most clowns is a commercial product sold at almost all magic shops. There are many different routines that make use of this flower. It is an easy step to personalize this prop by making the flower from 160Q balloons. Inflate the first 160Q about 10 inches (this will be the color of the petals of the flower). Make a series of five or six fold twists in the balloon all around the same point. Inflate the tip of a 160Q in a contrasting color for the center of the flower. Then inflate a green 160Q about 12 inches. Tie the tip of the contrasting 160Q to the nozzle of the green one. Trim the excess contrasting balloons uninflated portion. Fit the junction of the two balloons through the petals to make the flower. Tie off the uninflated end of the green balloon and trim of excess. This is a basic flower without the leaves on the stem.

To operate the wilting balloon flower, grip the stem between the thumb and forefinger of your hand and squeeze with either the thumb or with the forefinger depending on which way you want the flower to move. You can get the flower to move in all sorts of directions with only the slightest movement of the thumb and forefinger. A little practice will have you in complete control of the flower and ready to rehearse the routine.

The routine is started by making the wilting flower. Then offer to let someone smell the flower. Follow this by allowing several others to smell the flower. Next you start to smell the flower or breathe on the flower and it wilts. Try to straighten up the flower and it wilts in the opposite direction. State the maybe with a little magic you can get the flower to stand up straight. As you turn around to get a magic wand (it could be made from balloons too) raise the flower over your head and let the flower stand up straight unnoticed by you. When someone brings to your attention that the flower has stood up bring the flower down in front of your face making it wilt at the same time. Put the flower over your head again making it stand back up as you do so. This continues (as long as it will play) until you discover that the audience is right and the flower is standing up straight.

Practice the manipulation of the balloon flower, add your own patter, and rehearse this routine and you will have a great piece of impromptu entertainment that can be used any time you have balloons with you (is there any time you don't?).

The second routine is based upon the "Clown Give away flower". It is more of quick bit than a routine, but it's very useful for walk around work. The "clown give away flower" is another standard item available from various magic dealers. It consists of a flower blossom that has a wire, which is inserted into a straw. The clown carries the flower over to the "victim" and offers the flower to her (him if you are a female clown). The "victim" is offered the straw end, and as he/she takes it the clown takes the blossom out of the straw and walks away carrying the flower blossom. I never liked this routine as it leaves the "victim" as the loser. If you make the balloon give away flower, you can place the flower in your lapel and make the victim a balloon sculpture from the "stem" which makes up for the prank played. Make the flower by creating a six-petal blossom from a 160Q. Next make a center for the blossom from the tip of a contrasting color 160Q and wrap this tightly around the center of the blossom. Make a stem from a green 160Q by inflating it to the length needed for the sculpture you are going to give the "victim". Pull the nozzle through the blossom, but do not wrap it around the blossom. Tension will hold the stem to the blossom until you pull it away to put it in your lapel.

Practice both of these routines and you will have two wonderful routines that can be used for entertaining at the drop of a balloon hat. Until next month I wish you...

Best of luck,

Patrick Brown