Street Theatre

One of the things I appreciated while in Cambridge these past two weeks was the lively street life. All along King's Parade and in the Market Place, there are musicians, jugglers, and various other artists doing their thing and trying to earn a bit of cash. Some of them are good, some are original, some are funny, and some of them are, well, less talented. But it all adds to the fun.

What is it that makes one act better than the others? Or more original? Or funnier? See this picture of someone playing his guitar from the inside of a litter bin: As you can see, lots of people thought this was hilarious, and they stopped to take photos and throw a few coins.

But why was this idea any better than the other acts? Why did passers-by find it so original? Indeed, I contributed some coins, and the guitarist seemed to be doing rather well.

I guess it's not fair to compare this sort of street theatre with the absence of anything similar in Brunei. For one thing, it would be too hot. Furthermore, I can't imagine people in Brunei finding an act like this particularly funny. If they saw someone trying to play a guitar from inside a litter bin, they would just think he was crazy.

So, what is it that makes something funny? I have no answer to that.