Give me snapshots of Renaissance Festivals

[toberane]

Another time, while watching the Rogues (scottish pipe and drum group) perform, the cell phone of a young woman standing near the back of the audience rang, and she started talking on it. The leader of the Rogues dashed into the audience, took the cell phone from her, asked who was on the other end, then said, "Well, she's watching the Rogues perform right now. She'll have to call you back later," and hung up. He kept the phone until the end of the show, too.

We were watching these guys perform once when some twit from the audience (a scrawny little guy who claimed to be from Scotland) started heckling them and yelling out that they had "lost their Scottish Heart." The leader (Six plus feet tall and about 3 feet across of pure muscle) very nearly jumped off the stage and pounded the little guy. You could see in his eyes that he wanted to VERY badly. After the show I cought some very direct words pass between them and think the heckler finally realized just how close he had come to having his manhood forcibly removed.

 

[Hellefire]

I was at Scarborogh Faire a few weeks ago, their opening weekend. Brought back lots of memories. Most of my memories were from working Southern Faire in San Bernadino County, CA in the early 90s. My suggestion...go through a few faire standards (songs, dance and mead, a couple shows, a couple games, some wa-sher women, etc) then set them up with a couple NPCs to get them into the after-hours party/campgrounds, with all that entails (ie sex drugs and rock 'n' roll). Debauchery at it's finest. Set them up with Faire flings, either the frolicky kind or the heart-borken/surrounded with jealousy kinds. That sort of thing. You want a specific memory? They had group showers at SB, and the womens broke, wasn't getting any hot water. So the women came over and showered with us.

Aaron Blair
Foren Star
Robyn Steele

 

[Shadowdancer]

I know Ded Bob very well, or at least I used to. I've kinda forgotten what his act was like, but he'd make a perfect NPC I think. Can anyone help me cobble together a reasonable facsimile of his performance?

Oh yeah. He starts with his three rules:
1) Respond when requested.
2) Respond only when requested.
3) Pay attention.

Then he gets his three zombies, each of who broke one of the above rules, up on stage. In between, there are various audience-participation things: sing-alongs, jokes, ded aerobics.

The zombies are always two attractive women and one man.

And he bonks the zombies when they screw up -- hits them on the head with a large, foam-rubber hammer. The audience screams in mock terror every time he holds the Bonker up, and says "Bonk!" in unison when he hits them.

Then he does the zombie skit: Ned (zombie No. 2, the guy) and Sweet Mary Oatblossom (zombie No. 1, one of the women) are in love. Then along comes the seductive Fifi (zombie No. 3, the other woman) who steals Ned away. Mary is heartbroken. Then Fifi drops Ned, leaving him broke and stupid.

Then there is the game of Ded Bob Says -- just like Simon Says, and the zombies are playing. After they all fail, he gives them sacks and has them go into the audience to collect money from the audience.

Here's Ded Bob's website. The link

There was a Ded Bob at Scarborough Faire the weekend we went. He did two shows. It wasn't the same guy who had been doing the show for years and years. He was younger, and a little taller, and not as polished as the other guy. And his voice was obviously different. I don't know if the old guy retired, or if he is franchising out the show, or what. But it was pretty much the same show the original Ded Bob had been doing for years.

 

[Wombat]

I used to work the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Novato, CA (the old Black Point location). It was a lot of fun, particularly with the early days of the Reduced Shakespeare Company and the famous four-main trio, Oak Ash & Thorn.

Above all else, though, I remember a harpist, Indus Arthur. She was truly magical. She planted herself near one of the ale stands and softly played the most moving and beautiful music I have ever heard in my life. One time two drunks got into a fight near the alestand and, in mid-bash, stumbled into her circle. Instead of yelling or complaining or anything else, she simply smiled at them. They both looked ashamed, sat down, listened to her harping, and then left VERY sizable tips in her basket.

Sounds like a real bard at work.