The Show Must Go On!

The Reading - New Film from TSMGO Studios & Mysterio Productions

2010-08-19T02:29:00.000-07:00

Just because the TSMGO troupe are not performing live at the moment, it doesn't mean we are not performing :)

Enjah has been working hard (very bloody hard!) on her new movie - and what a doozy! She's leapt from 2-3 minute comic shorts to a 9 minute drama set in the gorgeous seaside village of Cowell & mighty forest of Kahruvel. It's a tale of love, loss and tarot cards that will grip you from start to finish!

So, without further ado, I present the latest TSMGO Studio release of the Mysterio Production*, The Reading...

* HeadBurro Antfarm would like to apologise to all involved and all watching for his very dodgy East European accent ;-D

Lucy checks up on things

2010-05-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

just checking, the doors were left open, the theatre itself has vanished, the blog has quite a bit of dust and mysteriously, lots of cat hair too. strange echo in here!

Winter

2009-12-30T14:22:00.000-08:00

I received a nice enquiry today, so TSMGO! is in people's thoughts.

We develop a new show every year, and perform during our season, but currently we haven't started developing 2010s show in earnest, yet - although we have some of it outlined. We won't be ready to perform it until some time in the spring - not sure, yet, when, as we haven't started.

A Horrible Halloween Howl!

2009-11-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

The halloween special was a blast! Everyone was a zombie or ghoul and the audience came in an amazing variety of horrific outfits. We had two now acts, the Doctor & The Zombie and The Dance of The Ghouls, and both had exposive endings that showered the crowd in blood, bone and brains!

So that's it folks - the final final end of the 2009 season - we all hope you enjoyed it as much as we did :-D

A Word From the Director

2009-11-01T10:14:00.000-08:00

We've reached the final show of the 2009 season - and obviously, given that we fell dead to the ground and/or exploded during the last act in a rain of blood and internal organs, yesterday, you wouldn't like to see us back on the stage until we've visited the doctor. But, just as a way of wrapping things up, I'd like to say a few words about my currently active performers.*

Enjah Mysterio is a long-suffering partner-in-crime ready to leap into anything at a moment's notice. Although she can turn her hand to a wide range of things, I especially appreciate her ability to invent characters and bring them to life in both a making-avatar and a performing way, not to speak of her fine voice acting on a few acts. Thanks, Enj - U B Ossm.

Lucy Tornado looks at life from her perch in a beech tree, so naturally she sees things from a different perspective than those of us on the ground. AND THEN SHE WRITES ABOUT IT. o.O The results are unexpected, as you've undoubtedly seen. I appreciate so many things about Luceh, from her ability to build an act from scratch to her cheerfulness, but here's the mystery: how can someone so unpredictable be so dependable?

Karuna Sands is not just a flexible performer but someone I've learned to listen to, as on more than one occasion he casually lets drop a bon mot that is so funny, and so apt, I immediately run off to incorporate it into the show. Who do you think named the the airship theatre "The Lindenburg"? (Actually I think he said "der Lindenburg")

HeadBurro Antfarm has ~~his~~ a way with words - written and spoken - and glad I am that he has just the teensiest bit of ham in him, as his performances are memorable. In a short time he's become a mainstay of the show.

Kitty Zimmer, that naughty pussy, is an independent performer (you know how cats are) who will invent and perform her own solo acts, then turn right around and gamely leap into a group act with great aplomb. Although it's whispered she just may be an alt, if that's the case the typist must have personality to spare - Kitty is definitely her own charming self.

Alazi Sautereau dances with grace and style, choreographing her acts with many animations to express the music's flow. Her performances bring a note of beauty to our mayhem - and then she turns into a yak and all bets are off :-D

Kumi Kuhr is our newest victi... *cough* troupe member, and she has an advanced degree in Mayhemology (I believe she is engaged in finishing her thesis), which should come in handy. Cranking it up to 11, Kumi has already succeeded in making key members of the troupe turn queasy, no mean feat. An idea-generator for 11th notch mayhem - superb!

* Performers who aren't active at the moment deserve their own post, as there are many of them and we may get some of them back!

Halloween Special!

2009-10-26T05:25:00.000-07:00

Rot up! Rot up! Ghouls and Beasties, I have the distinct terror of announcing a special one night only re-animation of the show everyone is screaming about!

Creep along early to guarentee your plot and come in the scariest costume you can possess to see the undead treat with more than a few nasty tricks... BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

We rise from our graves at 2pm (SLT) on Saturday 31st October 2009 and then come back for a second bite of your brains at 2:50pm. So crawl your foul way to The Lindenburg in Phobos and make sure you don't miss the show where dying on stage is all part of the fun!

Kind words from Jesper!

2009-10-13T06:10:00.000-07:00

Jesper Prinz, long time friend of the show and talented SL artist, has some kind and choice) words to say about our humble little show - read them on his blog here :)

Back By Popular Demand!

2009-10-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

That's right folks, we thought it was the end of the 2009 season for The Show Must Go on and Professor Antfarmoffski's Flea Circus, but you wouldn't let us go :) So bowing to pressure from our gorgeous and fragrant public, Osprey beat us all on the soles of our feet until we agreed to come out of retirment once more, and what a show we put on! We were packed out for the 2pm showing (nearly 30 in the audience!) and had a fair few for the 2:50pm show and everyone had a great time. A huge thanks for your support guys!

p.s. This was Kumi Kuhr's first show with us too! Welcome to the looney bin, Kumi! :-D

10 October! Performances!

2009-10-02T10:29:00.001-07:00

Popular demand would not let this show shuffle off to the Old Act's Home and because of the threats we have received (just threats - no bribes!) we are bringing this show back for 2 days only - the first is Saturday 10th October with acts at 2pm & 2:50pm (SLT) and the second... well the second is a surprise ;-) Keep reading this blog for more info!

In the meantime, come and see the very-nearly-last show EVER!

Laddles and Gentlebumps: Introducing The Lindenburg!

2009-09-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

If you've seen the 2009 show, you'll have been on the amazing flying theatre airship built by Osprey - well now, thanks to Karuna Sands, it has a name...

Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to The Lindenburg!

The 2009 Season Nears its End!

2009-09-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Show Must Go On… but not for much longer!

I’m sorry to say folks that we are nearing the end of the 2009 show season *pauses for wiling, weeping, teeth gnashing and chest beating to stop* and you only have a few more opportunities to a) see us and b) book us!

The next two shows are 5th September and 12th September and we have no more planned after that. Now I’m sure we will do some more, but as we also need to film all the acts from this and last year, I don’t think we’ll do many more.

So if you want to see our amazing flea circus and comedy and dance and song show, come along on Saturday 5th September and/or Saturday 12th September.

And if you want to book us, then contact Osprey Therian in-world ASAP. I’d hazard a guess that if you haven’t booked us by the end of September, we may well be full up for the rest of the year filming.

As always, a HUGE thank you to you all for coming and supporting our work – we do it for the fun, nothing more and nothing less and without an audience, it ain’t no fun :-D

Oh, and on a final note, if you think you have an act or talent you’d like to bring to the troupe and if you think you’d like to stand up on stage and make countless people laugh and wOOt! in 2010 then drop Osprey a line – we are always looking for new blood you know :)

Saturday Show

2009-09-02T18:43:00.001-07:00

The show season is winding down - better come see if you haven't already.

Come one, come all!

2009-08-25T19:14:00.000-07:00

At The Airship Theatre in Phobos.

Show Date: Saturday 29th August 2009 at 2pm in Phobos

2009-08-25T02:26:00.000-07:00

Roll up! Roll up!

Following a summer holiday break, the players of the greatest (silliest) show on the grid are delighted to announce that they are returning to the stage once for more for the autumn season of shows in the 2009 season.

Come to the Sky Theatre in Phobos this Saturday for 2pm (come early for a seat) and catch the latest performance of The Show Must Go On!

Shows & Rumours! Oh My!

2009-08-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

The TSMGO camp has been quiet these past few weeks - Burroboy has been on holiday (and indeed still is - I should know, as I type this I'm looking out of a window at Vancouver and I am him!) and both Osprey & Enjah have had busticated 'pooters :(

But all is nearly back to normal - the comps are fixed and the team are practicing new acts. Once the lazy Burro is back in Blighty expect some shows here and there and I've even heard a rumour that Osprey will be making films of all the acts from the last two years!

More news as I hear it, news fans! Until then keep checking back and come and see us real soon :)

A great show in Berin!

2009-07-19T15:11:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone in the 1920s Berlin Project for such a warm welcome - the reduced troupe had a blast with our smaller-than-normal show in the beautiful surroundings of pre-war Berlin. Here are some shots from the show :)

There are some more shots here.

Show in 1920s Berlin, 18th July 2009 at 2:50pm

2009-07-13T20:11:00.001-07:00

2 Great Shows on the 11th July

2009-07-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

The audiences may have been small, but by gum they enjoyed the shows!

11th July Performances

2009-07-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

Two shows: 2pm and 2:50pm.
As is usual, admission is free!
Thrill to the daring antics of Professor Anfarmoffski's marvelous trained fleas! Show includes songstress Kitty Zimmer, comedy duo Tornado and Sands, dancer Alazi Sautereau, and the Sir Thomas Beecham New Dance Company.
EVENT LISTING
Join us on the Airship Theatre parked above the Eleanor Theatre in Phobos!

Sir Thomas Beecham New Dance Company

2009-07-04T17:23:00.001-07:00

I tried to video during a performance and forgot stupid Avatar Imposters :(
Ah, well - will need to redo, but meanwhile join us at the Airship Theatre in Phobos for live variety from The Show Must Go on!

Cattle Call!

2009-07-02T13:46:00.001-07:00

Are you a Yak Wannabee? If so, please IM Enjah Mysterio inworld about becoming part of Sir Thomas Beecham's Gnu Ballet Troupe. We will be performing THIS SATURDAY at 2PM and 2:50PM at the Eleanor Airship Theatre, so get your costume and Bee a YAK!

New Ideas

2009-06-30T00:17:00.000-07:00

For the generation of new ideas

Show Date: Sat 4th July 09 at 2pm & 2:50pm SLT

2009-06-29T23:58:00.001-07:00

As is usual, admission is free!
Event Listing

Thrill to the daring antics of Professor Anfarmoffski's marvelous trained fleas! Show includes songstress Kitty Zimmer, comedy duo Tornado and Sands, dancer Alazi Sautereau, and the Sir Thomas Beecham Gnu Dance Company.

Join us on the Airship Theatre parked above the Eleanor Theatre in Phobos!

RFL Shows a great success!

2009-06-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to our wonderful fans the the amazing supporters of the Race For Life charity who came to both shows yesterday and supported this great cause. Elliebob informed us that all four shows raised about 60,000L$!

Here are some photos from the shows yesterday - both audiences were amazing and fun!

Another 2 Great RFL Benefit gigs on Saturday 27th June 09

2009-06-19T22:14:00.000-07:00

Coming up: our second benefit performance for Relay for Life.
27 June @ 2pm & 2:50pm.
Contact ELLiebob Bean to purchase tickets.

Meet the Stars: Comrade Bumble Bee

2009-06-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Although the management of the theatre usually compile and compose these short biographies, but in this case Comrade Bumble Bee from the Glorious Soviet Socialist Republik Hive has provided us with the text himself(1):

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear all western pigs, capitalist dogs and your childer! Greetings from the Glorious SSRH! We bees of the State wish you and your filthy capitalist ways well and hope your pathetic health services are succeeding in keeping you healthy. Nice things said, we move to tale of Comrade Bees, yes?

In Glorious Mother Hive, all Comrade Bees are equal. In Glorious Mother Hive I learn music and dance from workermother for pleasure of Glorious Leader Bee. This is what we are bringing to you, flabby westerners. Yes? Dance and music in air above you all with faces of wonder and smiles.

With music in air, we dance for joy of Communist Utopia created by Glorious Leader and her many, many Glorious Purges and Pogroms. This is happy for us, yes? No! We never happy while trivial things coming in world! Not like westerners with their smiling faces and clowns. Hello Childer, enjoy show yes?

In end, we Glorious Communist Bees of the Hive State equal, You not. We better and dance from joy of knowing and for the small childer with their fat faces and laughings, yes? Goodbyes!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There you have it folks. And thank you Mr… I mean Comrade Bumble Bee.

*******************

(1) Which we are contractually obliged to reproduce, god help us.

Two Great Shows! Photos from 13th June 09

2009-06-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

Thank you to both wonderful audiences for making both shows last night so enjoyable!

And thank to Alazi for her enchanting dance (and her wardrobe malfunction which modesty forbade to me to commit to film)

Ideas for the next Nova Albion Parade?

2009-06-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

Ever in love with the bizarre, Boschian and Georges Mélièsian:

http://www.thebeatlesrockband.com/cinematic.php
http://roadnorth.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcju4sFokxs

Show Tomorrow! Saturday 13th June 09 at 2pm SLT

2009-06-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

2:00

2:50

Meet the Stars: Pheobus

2009-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Little is known about Pheobus’ background. We know he has a funny accent and is very careful with his money(1) so it’s a safe bet he’s either Scottish or from Yorkshire, but no record can be found to back this up. Still, he’s never bought any of the other fleas or circus hands a drink ever. Not once. Not even a coke. Tight fisted little sod.

Anyway, the first records of him seem to be those of the Linden Youth Offending Board (Corn Field Division) where he was reprimanded for a series of griefing attacks in which unfortunate noobs were set on fire moments after setting foot off the ferry. These poor noobs were heard to say “Hey! What’s going on?” and “What? What’s this fire? HELP!!!1”and “Babe sex please me?” before he pushed them into other noobs setting them on fire too.

Clearly a troubled soul(2), he was sent to the Corn Field which he promptly burnt down. He was then sent to a secure facility in a Linden Lab server farm which he burnt down. From there he was sent to an underwater containment facility just off Nautilus which he burnt down.

The exasperated Lindens held a special secret meeting (delayed three times due to fire alarms as Pheobus tried to burn it down) and decided upon their most radical solution yet. Exile to Prokofy Neva’s Free Tibet! Here amid the snowy wastes the young Pheobus was to be schooled by one of the grid’s most renowned pacifists, The Great and Benevolent Guru Swami Bernard.

Although Pheobus managed to burn down two mountains, one party of hikers and several of Guru Bernard’s best beards, the good Swami’s patience and fatherly concern slowly worked their magic on the dear little troubled soul and within a year the old Pheobus was gone. Instead, in his place, stood the new Pheobus! Focused, caring, dedicated and 90% less dangerous! A tough regime of mental and physical training had yielded great results and the young Fire-Flea was almost ready to rejoin society(3), all he had to complete was Guru Bernard’s final task – a three week long blindfolded hike through the mountains juggling five blazing termites in which he must never stop for food or sleep or drink and he must never, ever drop a termite or allow it to go out.

And so it was that one day from the end of this mammoth task the exhausted Pheobus came to trip over a snoozing Professor Antfarmoffski and drop all his termites. The rest, dear reader, is history…

*******************

(1) It’s rumoured that his purse contains groats and the small desiccated bodies of moths…

(2) In this case, code for ‘right little arsehole’

(3) Probably as a stoker on the Caledon Light Steam Rail Network.

Next Show Date: Saturday 13th June 09 at 2pm SLT

2009-06-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

Appearing again at the Airship Theatre in Phobos, and sure to be a crowd-pleaser! Don't miss it!

Meet the Stars: Hugo The He-Flea

2009-06-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

With his massive thorax and legs as thick as matchsticks, Hugo cuts an impressive figure with many a lady flea swooning full away as he strides past them on his way to lift a pebble or bite through an ant. Men want to be him, women want to be with him. And the men who want to be him also want to the women who want to be with him to be with them when they are him. Oh yes, Hugo is one whole hunk of He-Flea and no mistake!

But it wasn’t always so.

Many moons ago, when Hugo Siciliano(1) first emerged from his egg he was a scrawny 97 milligram weakling. Girls laughed. Boys bullied. His parents despaired. But his dear mother did not give up on him. She fed him a daily diet of blood she gathered from only the fattest of pampered moggies to build up his body. His father developed a series of exercises for him to do and built him some equipment until a new improved Hugo emerged from the gym.

All the hard work not only crafted Hugo’s body into a work of living art, but also honed his mind to a sharply focused point enabling him to rise above the flotsam and jetsam of the average flea populace.

He climbed every mountain. He forded every stream. He followed every byway and even searched high and low. All of this he did in the nude because he considered it to be character building. He dined only on the blood of British Bulldogs and the finest of iron filings. He began to travel extensively seeking out greater and greater challenges with which to test his metal. He bested the Great Sansara Sasquatch. He defeated the terrible Jageroth Jaberwocky. He even trumped the Evil Nipple Beast of Ursula! But it was on his way to sort out the fabled Blingapotomus that fate took a fateful turn. It started with a grid quake trapping one Professor Antfarmoffski and ended with the rest, dear reader, being history…

*******************

(1) His father was an Italian docker who followed his fortune on a tramp steamer to New York where he met a beautiful young French exchange student flea who was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar. The rest, dear reader, I will leave to your sordid imaginations…

Meet the Stars: Frollo

2009-06-04T23:31:00.000-07:00

Frollo Shamus O’Murphy(1) was born a nomad, his mother and father having eloped in order to give vent to their burning love. From being an egg Frollo never knew one place for long, cast adrift on his father’s endless quest for the pot’o’blood at the end of the rainbow. This endless (hopeless) quest saw the small O’Murphy clan travelling the grid in a grand pea-green boat(2), but when the stolen money and honey ran out they family found themselves in dire straights and had no other option but to apprentice out the young Frollo to a catfish in the Omidyar sea.

Frollo never saw his parents again. Legend says they were killed in a terrible particle storm just off Da Boom, other reports say they were roasted by the firece underwater Sea Osprey in Bodega, whilst still others just say they found the pot’o’blood and forgot about poor Frollo altogether. Whatever the truth, which will be mostly lies and make believe, one thing is for certain, young Frollo was raised on the back of the kindly catfish and became the grids first (and only) Sea-Flea!

Although he traveled the Seven Seas of the grid, he never forgot the inland sea of Omidyar and often returned to play amongst the kelp, gambol amid the sponges and bite the arse of anything with warn blood in it. It was the latter activity that led him dto develop his superflea-like dextrity as his favourite pasttime rapidly became shark taunting and Sea Osprey biting.

It was during an attempt to beat his personal best and not only taunt the Bodega Bay shark but also twist the sea-snakes into a balloon poodle and bite the dreaded Sea Osprey right on the arse in one daring lightning raid, that Frollo came across the good Professor Antfarmoffski trembling under a large lily leaf. and the rest, dear reader is history…

*******************

(1) His Father was Irish who lived in Athlone on a shark in the local aquarium. His mother was a minor French aristocrat passing through on the back of a particularly fine Persian. It’s the beautiful age old love story of the haughty and the lowly crossing the social divide to rut like two monkeys sugared up on love juice and UmBongo. Awwww.

(2) Filched from a sap of an owl and his soppy cat lover when they weren’t looking.

Meet the Stars: Esmeralda

2009-06-01T23:14:00.000-07:00

Widely regarded to be the most beautiful flea ever to have hopped on the flat earth(1) of the grid, Esmeradla Consuela Conchita Adriana Alondra Jones(2) has always had an uncanny ability to turn heads and bring calm to where there is discord. Born in Svarga, she was raised, as were all the flea clans of that part of the world, on the blood of the much feared Sarcastic Sloth of Svarga, a beast known throughout the grid for reducing even the most hardened of travellers to tears with its sharp tongue and keenly observed cutting remarks. Over the years, a constant diet of this blood had a terrible effect on the once relaxed and friendly fleas and they became a mean bunch of malcontents given to liking bare-knuckle boxing and pig-sticking. And so it would have been for poor Esmeralda had it not been for her mother.

Her mother(3) was, unbeknownst to her clan, a vegetarian and sucked only on the pure, sweet nectar of Svarga’s many floral delights. She raised Esmeralda to do the same and in doing so, raised the sweetest creature the grid has ever known(4).

Although shunned by the other fleas as being a “flower hugging liberal commie” the young Esmeralda consoled herself in dance, a medium she used to express her joy and happiness. She practiced her beautiful dances alone in the forests and bluebell glades of the islands – or she thought she was alone! The frogs came at first, a few hopping by saw her and spread the word. The rabbits came next. And the bees. Then the crocodiles. And even the hippos. All came to watch this enchanting flea pirouette and sashay between the wild orchids. Until eventually the sloths came.

They came en masse with the dark intentions of pouring so much sarcastic bile on the proceedings that as one the audience would hop off the nearest cliff in a mass act of desperation. But as soon as they clapped their peepers on the be-tutued flea, their hearts melted and their taunts stuck in their throats. Esmeralda had calmed the wild beasts of Svaraga once and for all and whenever she danced, travellers were safe from having their choice of clothing mocked and their sexual preferences called into question.

It was in the rescuing of just such a traveller that she came to the attention of Professor Antfarmoffski and the rest, dear reader is history…

**********

(1) Until anyone proves me wrong, this world is flat and that is all there is to it.

(2) Her father was Welsh. From Blaenau Ffestiniog. Lived on a slate miner.

(3) Spanish. From Minaro. Lovely lass.

(4) With the possible exception of Violet Faulds, of course!

Fantastic RFL Benefit on Saturday 30th May 09

2009-05-31T11:06:00.000-07:00

A huge thank you to all our fans for making Saturday show (or shows – we put two on now to limit audience generated lag, one at 2pm & the other at 2:50pm) so much fun! They were organised by Elliebob Bean for the Race for Life cancer charity and raised over L$17,000 for the worthy cause.

Waelya Tenk made a video at the show yesterday.

Here are some pics – I even managed to get some great ones of Kitty’s brilliant act at last!

And as an extra treat, Kumi Kuhr sent me this link to a real life flea circus video :-D

Relay for Life Benefit!

2009-05-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

Contact ELLIEBob Bean
or
Vessus Candour to attend.

Meet the Stars: Professor Headonius Antfarmoffski

2009-05-13T12:31:00.000-07:00

The good Professor has never spoken much about his past. What little we know is to be gained from overheard snatches of late night drunken speculation between over-worked, harassed fleas and from outright gossip & lies.

He was born anytime in the last two hundred and fifty years somewhere in Europe to an aristocratic family who had not so much fallen on hard times as crushed them to death in a spectacular act of social suicide. Their reduced circumstances were entirely down to the Professor’s father, one Baron Willhelm Von Antfarmoffski, who sank the entirity of his wife’s family fortune on a doomed quest to build a giant zoological garden for insects that modelled the real world in every single detail but at the decidedly odd (and ultimately unworkable) scale of 1:23.459721. The venture left the family destitute and cast out of polite society. Indeed, they were now at the tender mercies of an exceedingly impolite society who thought nothing of shouting “Oy! Ugly!” at the poor young Headonius.

Cast adrift from the only world she’d ever known, the Professor’s poor mother went irrevocably insane within minutes and spent the next eighty years knitting at guillotines, sewing at firing squads and crocheting at stonings. She would also spit at passersby for a florin. His father fared no better, retreating into planning ever more complex versions of his ‘other world’ until his eyesight, balance and bowels went. It is, of course, ironic that the very final version of his planned world involved millions of “fleas, cockroaches and other invertebrates [utilising a] system of interconnected Babbage arithmetic calculation machines employing a Lovelace pattern to allow for the generation of […] an entirely real […] yet wholly created artificial world where said [insects] can project a new vision of their world using their imagination.” In short, he had created Insectoid Life but the world was sadly unprepared for such a quantum leap and instead threw the incontinent old goat in the debtors goal and beat him with cats until his death (some 70 years later) from “a malaise of the vapours […] and severest of cat beatings”.

Headonius was now alone in the world. His mother was still alive but far to embarrassing for a young man. Indeed she is still alive and still spitting. Devoid of a trade and loathe to do any actual work, he began to travel. It was in the course of his travels that he met the father he’d never had (although he had had a father who was, whilst insane, quite nice – what an ungrateful wretch!) in Dr Gabriel Le Ratspit, proprietor of the World Famous Ratspit Frog Circus. Under the tutorage of Ratspit, Headonius gained his Doctorage in Frog Sexing from the world feared Sorbet in Paris, Texas. He toured the globe with the Ratspit Circus and honed his showmanly craft to such a fine art that upon his deathbed, Dr Ratspit bequeathed his entire circus to his loyal apprentice. The only drawback to a successful start to his career was that the pox-addled Ratspit then shot all his frogs with his service revolver so their tiny souls could hop his own over the Stix without having to pay the Ferryman. He was tight like that. Probably some Yorkshire blood in him.

Poor Headonius once again entered the big, bad world alone (his mother is still alive, did I mention that? He never writes or call you know). This time he had a craft and means to support himself, but no frogs with which to perform. In fact, due to Mad King Bastard the Third of Belgium there were no frogs to be found throughout Europe as the Royal Fruitloop had decreed that all amphibians were causing global cooling “what with their slimy skin and bulgy eyes – yuk!” and had banned them to Russia via a series of huge frog cannons capable of propelling a hundred frogs and newts a thousand miles with one bloody great boom.

The situation looked hopeless and the professor once more began to wander aimlessly until one fateful day in Vienna (or that other one… the one with canals… you know, sounds like Vienna. Anyway, one of those two) when he wandered into a small café for a cup of the latest rage, hot dog’s blood with marshmallows and cream. Immediately something struck him. It was the door jam. He rose to his feet, rubbing his noggin (and his head) and was amazed to see people sat at tables not only drinking cups of steaming dog’s blood but also hand cranking a series of what looked like inter-connected Babbage engines utilising a Lovelace system to transport their users to a world of their imagination! His old mad dad had been right all along and now, mere days after his father’s untimely and painful cat-related death, someone was running his design in such a way as to make money from a series of inter-connected, webbed cafes. And each of the machines was capable of taking the user to a new world, a new life second to their everyday one.

The professor paid the owner, a large youth with a trainee beard and sour counternance, his five groats and began to crank his machine for all its worth. Little did he know that over-cranking one of these experimental personal computing machines could actually suck the cranker into the very net of web-like inter-connections and deposit them bodily into the second world. He soon overcame this gap in his knowledge tthe hard way and found himself in a strange new world where almost anything was possible. Except training frogs. He tried but it turned out that Lady Lovelace had a strange aversion to frogs and hadn’t written a clear algorithm for them so they were mere greenish blobs incapable of recalling the simplest of instructions. The Professor, if he was to recreate his circus in this new life, would have to look elsewhere for his performers. And then a thought struck him! If his drooling dad had been right about the Babbage machines, maybe he was right about the intelligence and circus-skills of the common flea (hereto unmentioned for various reasons which I’m sure you’ll understand and forgive to wit I've elbowed it in here, etc. et al, et tu.).

The Professor began to travel his new world (never writing to his poor old mum, not once) and seek out the very best fleas it had to offer. The rest, as they say, is history. History or Histrionics, I am fuzzy if I’m honest. The rest is one or other, you choose...

Thanks to Chestnut at NWN

2009-05-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

A big THANK YOU to Chestnut Rau over at New World Notes for her publicity for tomorrow's show - let's hope we can introduce lots more people to the fun and laughter of TSMGO!

Zounds!

2009-04-26T10:27:00.001-07:00

=============:O

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh

2009-04-25T23:30:00.001-07:00

A Sekret Show So Don't Let Anyone Know

Show Announcement: Saturday 9th May at 2pm SLT

2009-04-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

Dear TSMGO fans - we have a new show date for you!

Date: Saturday 9th May 2009
Time: 2pm SL time
Venue: The Flying Turkey Airship Theatre
Location: Phobos (tethered above the Eleanor Theatre)
SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Phobos/199/235/26

All welcome - it's free! Come early to get a seat and please (PLEASE!) remove anything laggy to try & help us with script lag :-D

The Show Went On in Raglan

2009-03-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday the 14th March was the first show in the new 2009 line up and what a success! Well, if you discount the terrible lag ruining the first half and take into consideration the horrible deaths of all my brave, dear fleas, then it was a success.

The wonderful inhabitants of Raglan Shire have always been the greatest of friends to The Show Must Go On, and they proved once again just how much they love our humble efforts to entertain with dance, song and comedy. And fleas, of course.

Osprey had parked the theatre a few days earlier...

And it soon began to fill up with the cutest furry friends I've ever seen! Oh, and quite a few hoomans too :-D

We poor performers were bags of nerves behind the scenes, let me tell you!

A hush descended upon the audience as the show began...

As I'm sure you will understand, I was unable to take any more photos until the very end when the wonder of shindig managed to take my mind of the deaths of my fleas for a few minutes...

Before the stage floor gave way and many of us plummeted 2000m to the town below...

But a quick TP saw me back in the theatre where many of the upset tinies crowded around me to offer me their sympathies and assure me they would look for new fleas I could train.

A huge thank you to all our TSMGO fans in Raglan for having us again and a similarly massive thank you to all our fans who came to see the show - we hope you will come again throughout the year to see other acts we will be adding. Don't forget to check the TSMGO blog for more details. And a big fat thanks to all the show's performers who were just brilliant and professional on the night, a night which saw lag all but eat us alive and all my lovely fleas killed in horrible ways... *sobs*

Show: 14th March at 2pm SLT

2009-03-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Here's the skinny on the first ever show of 2009!

Date: 14th March 2009
Time: 2pm SL time
Venue: The Flying Turkey
Location: Raglan Shire
SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Raglan%20Shire/114/191/2001/

All welcome - it's free! Come early as it will get full. Please remove anything laggy - but don't come neked :) Oh, and as it's a Tiny sim, so come as a tiny if you can and join in the Shindig dance at the end :)

TSMGO - New Show 14th March 09

2009-03-03T12:12:00.000-08:00

Oh fraptious day! After my triumphant World Tour of Finland, I am returning to my roots and my World Renowned Magnificent Flea Circus is coming home to Second Life and you - yes YOU! - can be the first to see my new show staring a whole new cast of brave, wonderful fleas.

Gasp at the airborne dexterity of Frollo! Sigh at the beauty of Esmeralda! Wince at the feats of Hugo! And faint with fear at the flames of Pheobus!

And more! Marvel at the vocal genius of Miss Kitty! Split your sides (and have them expertly stitched together again) with Doctor Tornado and her patient, Mr Karuna Sands!

So come one, come all - the show is free and open to all comers. The hosts for the show are our wonderful Tiny friends of Raglan Shire and the show will end with a special visit from the Shindig dance troupe - if you can assume Tiny form, please join all the performers, my wonderful fleas and our gracious hosts on stage for the dance! I will forward an exact location very soon, but for now please put a mark against the March 14th in your diaries and make sure you are free at 2pm local SL time for The Greatest Show In World - Professor Headonious Antfarmoffski's World Renowned Magnificent Flea Circus!

Yours with the warmest of Regards,
Professor Headonious Antfarmoffski.
Flea Wrangler to The Stars.

Flea Poster

2009-02-26T19:35:00.000-08:00

Apothecary Backdrop

2009-02-26T10:59:00.000-08:00

This act is in development, but the set is moving along.

fLEA cIrCuS sEtS

2009-02-25T13:58:00.001-08:00

Dancer / enchantress Esmeralda, in the Jungle of Wild Beasts.

Fearless Frollo in his high-diving outfit, preparing for the Leap of Doom.

Muscular Hugo pulling the cart of Fat Pierre (largest flea ever known).

Daring Phoebus and the Hoop of Burning Death.

A New Season

2009-02-20T21:08:00.000-08:00

Vaudeville audiences could give the loudest sighs I have ever heard. Prisoners in the Bastille couldn't have touched them.

Robertson Davies, World of Wonders.

The first order of business, gentlemen, ladies, fleas and poodles, is to welcome The Show Must Go On in their new season under joint (or perhaps we should say, unhinged) direction. You stumbled here no doubt because you were searching for thonged kitchen assistants, virtual stand-up comedy, unicycle knitting, fruit salads, or trained humans. Well, we have all that and more. We have lunatics, lovers and poets, more devils than vast hell can hold, a fine frenzy rolling, and airy nothings with local habitations and names. All that your imagination might want, transfigur'd by stage lights into fancy's image, gentle beasts and gallants and brave beauties for your entertainment and edification. This dramatic and comedic presentation, born of music hall, burlesque and medicine show, purged of all bawdiness and the lurid, except in its odd bits, offered the first ever trick-riding, buck-dancing and furry-jigged performances in all virtual reality. Your curiosity shall be rewarded with visions of loveliness, acts of daring, characters worthy of the most bizarre imagination, and jokes of so terrible an aspect as to bring a grin to the devil himself.

With trumpet fanfare and trombone anthem, gentle members of the audience, please welcome The Show Must Go On!

Flickr Key Word: TSMGO

2009-02-20T16:20:00.000-08:00

When you come to our show, and when you snap pictures and send them to Flickr, add the keyword "tsmgo" and your excellent pix will show in our Flickr slideshow. Go one step further and join the TSMGO Flickr group and add your relevent pictures - and we shall <3 U Fureverer!

TSMGO has gone all Web 2.0 (ish)!

2009-02-20T11:39:00.000-08:00

Lots of things happening at once folks - this new blog for a start, a rejuvenated forum for the performers, google calanders, a dedicated flickr group and even our very own twitter channel!

Yessireebob, now's a good time to get yourself aquainted with Second Life's first, foremost, only and best travelling variety & vaudeville show, The Show Must go On.

Bookmark this blog, follow our tweets and join the in-world group to find out all about our upcoming shows with all new acts for 2009!

'Ullo Loveys!

2009-02-20T00:29:00.001-08:00

I iz coming up so let's get this party startid!

Kitty

TSMGO! Season to Begin

2009-02-19T21:54:00.001-08:00

SHINDIG - TSMGO, originally uploaded by Teal Freenote.

The Show Must Go On! will be kicking off the 2009 season with an all-new show at Raglan Shire.

2009-02-19T16:06:00.000-08:00

/me moves TSMGO! blog furniture into the template and starts arranging things.