Suggest Beyond The Impossible acts for an eccentric circus

I'm writing a short story about a traveling circus that's full of odd creatures and is world famous for being bizarre but fascinating. I have a good idea of the performers and their appearances, and now I just need some ideas for over-the-top insane acts, particularly a killer finale. Any advice would be appreciated!

This sounds like fun. Does this ever get into a Circus of Fear atmosphere, or is it more Barnum and Bailey? Let me think... Perhaps you could have an insect tamer? A person who uses pheromones to control swarms of exotic bugs, or conduct nerve-racking stunts like letting a highly venomous hornet crawl in their mouth? It could be part magician's act, too, as the performer seems to summon his/her pets out of nowhere.

It doesn't become a Circus of Fear (though I would have had a BLAST with that ). If anything, it's more like a smaller scale Cirque Du Soleil with some elements of fantasy and a dash of Barnum and Bailey.

I'm really liking that bug tamer suggestion, I just might have to put it in!

edited 2nd Mar '11 11:07:43 AM by Ari1991

Well, I'd probably start with possible stuff I've seen in real life, and then try to think how far 'beyond' I could make it. Here's one that might be interesting. Ever hear about those guys that strap a defenseless lady to a spinning wheel, blindfold themselves, and then throw swords that always seem to just miss the assistant?

Now, I think that one way to make this go 'beyond' is if the blindfolded man used something that was a lot more rapid...say, a machine gun? It would be quite a risk, but to perfectly outline a lady with bullet holes while she's being spun on a wheel and you're blindfolded (and maybe even facing the opposite direction, though it'd be hard to hold a gun like that)...well, it'd be interesting.

Blind-folded flaming chainsaw juggling.

You could have a public quadruple bypass open heart surgery with a surgeon of questionable sobriety. Or maybe public hangings and executions for people who tried to sneak in. And if you're feeling political, use the location for press conferences!

The ideas are endless!

edited 2nd Mar '11 12:29:38 PM by Pyroninja42

Ninja lions vs. pirate tigers. Capuchin monkeys dogfighting in small airplanes. Trampolines balanced or carried on tightropes. Herds of elephants climbing out of tiny cars. Human cannonballs bungee jumping into cannons.

Clowns' acts always turning into brutal fistfights. Why do you think they wear so much make-up? To hide the bruises, of course!

edited 2nd Mar '11 2:37:08 PM by lordGacek

Someone is fired out of a cannon, through an elephant. Whether the elephant remains alive is entirely up to you.

^ That's a bit... Graphic, don't you think? Kids might not want to come to the circus if there's risk of getting elephant entrails all over them.

I'm glad you liked my idea, Ari. :D It's one I've been toying with a bit myself, but I'd be happy to let you have it. Here's a bit of an elaboration on that: bird-eater tarantula. Tarantulas are usually pretty docile as far as spiders go, and their venom, though painful, is not particularly dangerous. I'd recommend getting one of these monstrously big critters involved in the act to scare the pants off arachnophobes. Also, keep in mind that many species of butterflies and moths are strongly driven by mating pheromones. Our bug master could conjure thick cloaks of butterflies and swarms of bright-colored moths with nothing but a little chemical-soaked rag.

Also, I love your avatar. Gorillaz for the win!

edited 3rd Mar '11 7:54:12 AM by Takwin

Acrobats

where everything is on fire

even the audience.

Ballets performed entirely on the high ropes.

Tightrope walkers who manipulate giant marionettes with their feet.