Haggis and Charlie
Encyclopedia
Haggis and Charlie are a comedy
juggling
act formed in 1984 by Haggis McLeod
and Charlie Dancey. They learned their skills together at the Walcot Village Hall juggling workshop in Bath, England. Their first performance was a busking
show that took place on the waterfront of Bristol Docks. Haggis and Charlie performed regularly on the streets of Bath in their early years together. They have been seen almost every year at Glastonbury Festival
and became something of a tradition at the Winchester Hat Fair
.
Their show consists of just a few routines which have remained more or less unchanged over a period of 20 years. They are most well known for their "Seven Club Routine" in which they start with seven clubs on the floor and attempt to pick them up into a seven club passing pattern with plenty of comic difficulties before they finally succeed. This piece was influenced and inspired by the work of the Amazing Mendizies and Mr. Adams and Mr. Dandridge, two acts that were more or less contemporary with McLeod and Dancey's formative years as jugglers. The Seven Club Routine was, in the late eighties, one of the most plagiarised street juggling routines in the world, with Haggis and Charlie being one of the most well-known offenders.
They were also involved in a successful world record
attempt on 26 June 1994 when 826 people, juggling at least three objects each, kept 2,478 objects in the air, at Glastonbury Festival
.
For a brief time the duo became a trio, when Pippa Tee joined the act, which was renamed Haggis & Chips (short for Haggis & Charlie & Pippa).
Haggis and Charlie are seen less frequently now, though they still, occasionally, make an appearance. Their publicity used to mention that "it's not so much the dazzling display of devil-may-care dexterity - it's more the complete clash of personalities!"
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
juggling
Juggling
Juggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. This may be one object or many objects, at the same time with one or many hands. Jugglers often refer...
act formed in 1984 by Haggis McLeod
Haggis McLeod
Haggis McLeod is a juggler who has performed for years as half of the comedy street show duo Haggis and Charlie.He was born Ian McLeod, son of Harold Leonard Hodges. He specialises in solo club juggling, club passing and hat juggling...
and Charlie Dancey. They learned their skills together at the Walcot Village Hall juggling workshop in Bath, England. Their first performance was a busking
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
show that took place on the waterfront of Bristol Docks. Haggis and Charlie performed regularly on the streets of Bath in their early years together. They have been seen almost every year at Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
and became something of a tradition at the Winchester Hat Fair
Winchester Hat Fair
The Winchester Hat Fair is the UK's longest running festival of Street Theatre, comedy, and music which is held in Winchester, United Kingdom, always during the first weekend in July....
.
Their show consists of just a few routines which have remained more or less unchanged over a period of 20 years. They are most well known for their "Seven Club Routine" in which they start with seven clubs on the floor and attempt to pick them up into a seven club passing pattern with plenty of comic difficulties before they finally succeed. This piece was influenced and inspired by the work of the Amazing Mendizies and Mr. Adams and Mr. Dandridge, two acts that were more or less contemporary with McLeod and Dancey's formative years as jugglers. The Seven Club Routine was, in the late eighties, one of the most plagiarised street juggling routines in the world, with Haggis and Charlie being one of the most well-known offenders.
They were also involved in a successful world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
attempt on 26 June 1994 when 826 people, juggling at least three objects each, kept 2,478 objects in the air, at Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
.
For a brief time the duo became a trio, when Pippa Tee joined the act, which was renamed Haggis & Chips (short for Haggis & Charlie & Pippa).
Haggis and Charlie are seen less frequently now, though they still, occasionally, make an appearance. Their publicity used to mention that "it's not so much the dazzling display of devil-may-care dexterity - it's more the complete clash of personalities!"