The written history of street performers at Covent Garden goes
back to the 1600s, but the scene in its current state dates from
the late 1970s, when the covered fruit and vegetable market underwent
its transformation into a tourist site. As a regularly worked busking
pitch, its only rival world-wide would have to be the Pompidou Center
in Paris. As an influence on the English speaking world of street
performers, I would say that it is in a class of its own. Sure,
there are nicer places to work. Sure, there are legendary festivals
that we all dream of playing, but Covent Garden is worked by street
performers nearly every day of the year. Many of these performers
make the majority of their money working nowhere else. And likewise,
many of them have been performing at Covent Garden regularly for
10 years or more.
The system of deciding who gets to perform and how to share the
time slots fairly among the many performers who regularly work there
has been through endless discussion and evolution to its present
state. No doubt, it will change again in the future, but I will
try to give you an accurate portrayal of what to expect if you to
want to do a show at the famous Covent Garden. You must remember
that any bright idea you have as a newcomer has been argued over
endlessly many times before you ever showed up. So the first rule
should be to patiently observe and learn from the old pros before
you try to stir up any waves.
The first thing you have to know is that street performing is illegal
in London. The same is true of Paris, actually, but both cities
are full of buskers who have to keep an eye out for the police or
other authorities at all times. Covent Garden is an exception to
that rule in that the Market Association pays a hefty fee to the
city government for the license to allow street performing. What
this means is that ultimately the Market Management have the final
say in what happens on their property. In daily practice, it is
not so oppressive though because the Management is usually happy
to just let us get on with our shows, while they get on with running
a market.
However, the performers are always subjected to being taken for
granted; special events are sometime put on, which might take up
the prime spots, often with little or no notice given to the performers.
A prime example is the month of May every year when an opera festival
takes place and there is little room left for the performers who
give so much effort into making Covent Garden a lively place that
would be desirable for holding an opera festival in the first place.
Sounds annoying doesn't it? Well, there are lots of annoying things
about any and every street pitch. If you don't like them you don't
have to work the streets. I am just going to continue with this
article to warn you of what you should know. It is up to you to
decide if the hassle is worth it.
Market management requires that every performer must have liability
insurance and must pass an audition. The insurance is easy to get.
Just ask another performer for the address and pay your fee. (Be
sure to ask your own insurer if they will cover you in England if
you already have a policy.) The audition may be a little harder to
get scheduled, but is not difficult to pass. You won't be judged
on quality, as the market has a publicly stated policy of allowing
all performers, including beginners, to have an opportunity to develop
their shows. You also need to know that auditions are not held on
the weekends when the largest crowds are around. Those times are
reserved for the business of doing shows and making money as they
should be. As mentioned before, the auditioned person doesn't need
to prove he can get a large crowd to pass the audition. Certain rules
must also be followed if you use fire or amplification in the show,
but they are both allowed. The Management will fill you in on the
details.
The real purpose of issuing permits (as is sometimes the case in
other cities) is so they can be taken away if the performer ends
up being a nuisance somehow either by being dangerous to the public
or by being offensive. This scenario is very rare, but it has been
enforced in the past. Trust me, the other performers are usually
relieved to be rid of such a person as well.
So now you have your insurance and your permit... How do you schedule
a show? Well, there are two very different locations in the market
where performances are allowed. Well, three actually, but the third
one is only for classical musicians and has a different set of rules.
For variety acts, there is either the indoor or the outdoor pitch.
The indoor pitch is scheduled every Monday for shows on the following
week. The outdoor pitch is scheduled every morning for shows on
that day.
First I will explain the indoor pitch. This spot is a gathering
of three benches in a U shape creating a performance space about
12' x 12'. It is sheltered overhead by the market roof, but still
has a very outdoor atmosphere to it. You never get rained on here
and that can be a big advantage some days as the crowds run underneath
for cover. However on sunny days, you may not be able to get them
to join you in the shade. But, then again on very hot days they
will.
On Monday afternoons, anyone who wants to play the indoor pitch
puts their name on a list. These names are drawn to see who gets
to choose the most desired time slots first. You are allowed four
30 minute shows over the next week. The shows are scheduled between
10:00am and 8:00pm. As each person on the list draws out of the
hat and chooses their four time slots, there becomes less and less
spaces available until either nobody wants the left over spots or
all have been chosen. You then come back on your chosen days at
the chosen times and hopefully have some good shows.
Now for the outdoor pitch. This spot is big. It is intimidating
and it can be very hard for even the best performers to gather an
audience. But, when they do manage to pull off a big show, you will
not find a better street location anywhere in the world. Occasionally,
if the performers vote on the day to do so, this area is split into
two pitches for either part or all of the day depending on the politics.
Sometimes that means that twice as many shows happen. Sometimes
that means that some of the performers will try in vain to get an
audience while someone else a few yards away is having a great show.
It is all very unpredictable and depends upon how many audience
members there are to go around and how good your competition is.
On that note: you must also realize that there is competition for
audience members between the indoor and outdoor pitches as well.
There is no way of knowing which pitch will win. A less experienced
performer can sometimes top the old pro. You just take your slot
and do the best you can.
To play the outdoor pitch you have to have your name in the draw
list by 8:15am. Yes, that is a.m., very early, unsociable, unreasonable
for street performers to have to put up with. All true. All I can
say is, if you don't like it, you should perform somewhere else.
When your name is drawn out of the hat you choose your time slot.
These time slots are 40 minutes long. Shows start as early as 10:00am
and go as late as about 9:00pm in the summer, when it stays light
out, or only until 3:30 in the winter. Yes, it gets dark very early
in the winter. Not only is it harder to work in the cold, but there
are less time slots available for what can sometimes be 20 to 30
performers hoping to get a chance to perform. Even on a winter weekday,
there are often 10 to 15 performers there at 8:15am for the draw.
What does all this scrambling for a pitch tell you? Well you can
safely assume that it means that there is money to be made if you
play the game right. But remember; Covent Garden is more often than
not extremely hard to work. The audiences are notorious for not
coming forward when you are trying to build a crowd. Large portions
of the people are European or even more exotic. Lots of them usually
don't speak English. The weather is very unpredictable. And even
when you think you are OK because it is hot outside, just then the
audiences become zombies more interested in lying in the sun than
having anything to do with your annoying show.
If you want to watch street shows, learn a lot about the art, and
possibly have a go at trying what may be the best training ground
in the world for street performers, then come to London and have
a look. Whether you are just watching or wanting to perform, I would
suggest that you hang out down there for at least a week to get
a feel for the place. Do introduce yourself to the regulars, but
don't expect them to lay out the red carpet on your first day. You've
got to remember that almost every day in the summer some fresh-faced
youngster shows up thinking he is going to take over. Trust me;
it won't happen. However, I guarantee you that if you show them
some respect and pay your dues, the Covent Garden performers will
accept you into the most far reaching and prestigious alumni in
the whole world of street performing.
Article reprinted with permission
from Rex Boyd. Originally published at http://www.performers.net
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PHOTO GALLERY
For more photos of street entertainers in Covent Garden click here.
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Rex Boyd, originally from Kansas, USA, has spent a lot of time at Covent Garden off and on since 1988.
Click here to read his story.
