I received a call from my girlfriend. At the end of the call, she muttered, "I have to go. I think I'm in trouble." These words, in any other context, would have sent a chill down my spine, but they were mixed with her giggles. And so, I went to see what the trouble was.

There she was, just across the stage. All I had to do to reach her was pass by, just as many other people were doing. As I moved forward, I felt my hat lift above my head and I knew... I had become part of the show. As I walked over to my girlfriend, he recognized her as the girl on the cell phone he had made 'trouble' for, and as he had just made me part of his show, he attempted to get us to give a show in return. He gestured subtly for us to kiss, and so I gave her a peck. He then turned to us and gestured wildly for us to... well... suck face. After considering it for a moment before the better part of common sense came to me, I turned to him, shaking my head. He looked back, made a clear gesture of disappointment, and then returned to his show, leaving me with a grin that I would be unable to remove for a long while.

For those not familiar with the Busker's Festival, it is an experience that one should at least undertake to have once, and if you live in the maritimes, there is no reason not to experience this wonderful show. It is a vivifying experience to say the least, and the shows this year were of no exception. The public performers (aka street performers) bring life and spontaneity to the art of entertainment, and it is an experience unlike any other.

The first shows I managed to watch this year were the amazing Mr. Bunk and the talented Team Ryouko. Both shows were amazing, but the one that surprised me the most was Mr. Bunk.

The thing about the street performer with the funny name is that he introduces the audience directly into his act. Now, that isn't to say that he merely gives audience participation-- most of the acts if not all of them try to do this in some form or another. For instance, Team Ryouko give a hilarious and endearing martial arts lesson to the children in the audience, uses audience members to leap over, and generally integrates the audience into the show. But this is where Mr. Bunk gives an exceptional performance: the show IS the audience participation.

As I crossed the stage to meet Kim, my hat was stolen off my head. This is, to anyone who knows me, not one of my favourite gags, but the manner in which Mr. Bunk commits his acts of mischief leaves one unable to be anything other than tickled. I followed him as he walked away, anxious to get my hat back, but more excited about being part of the show. The audience was chuckling loudly as I tried desperately to get my hat. I leaped around him, and after a few seconds he gave my hat back, leaving me with a general, shy smirk on my face for being at once his victim and a part of his show.

This was not the first time I had seen his performance. I was already familiar with how he set up his act, slowly building audience approval through shadow-puppetry and masterful improvisation. One remarkable show had a small child repeatedly walking up to Mr. Bunk and simply looking at him (making random gestures of dropkicks and dances). In many shows, this small child would have been a nuissance, but for Mr. Bunk, it was opportunity. The audience roared with laughter as Mr. Bunk began shaking his head at the child (in good fun of course). The message the kid gave was clear: "I know that you make your show from the audience. And I like attention, so..."

And that is the fun of Mr. Bunk's show. Where, in other street performances, you are a passive participant, in Mr. Bunk's performance, you help him entertain you. From the seductive dance of his puppets, to his random gags, Mr. Bunk leaves you with a relaxed sense of something you can't quite even put your finger on. He leaves you with a sense that you contributed, even though (for all constructive purposes) he did all the work.

That is not to say that the other shows were lacking in comparison. Team Ryouko gave a mesmerizing performance, and the highlight of their show was their comparison with "normal" martial arts, taking you step by step into how exactly their performance differs from normal martial arts. While this might seem gratuitous, it is truly inspiring to see the development, say, from a normal roundhouse kick to a jumping, twisting bit of acrobatics, and it makes you appreciate the work they put into their stunts.

The Pyromancer, Les Walkyries, ABS Crew, Peter Rabbit, and the Court of the Illumination (the illuminati) all gave terrific shows (nor are these all the performers that gave wonderful shows, but merely the ones that I managed to see this year). The reason Mr. Bunk gets honorable mention, I guess you would call it, is because there is a certain unmentionable quality to his show, unmentionable not because of any vulgarity but because of a presence. Just as the talented Peter Rabbit's vicious drum beats-- on a bucket, no less-- leave you mesmerized, so does Mr. Bunk's show leave you chuckling hours after his show. Just as the flames that came from Pyromancer's mouth flash before your eyes, so does Mr. Bunk's performance leave the audience trading stories from his various and ever-changing repertoire. I found myself comparing stories with my girlfriend, who had seen one of his shows that I could not attend, and wishing that I had been there to see him with a boat approaching from behind, and to see him convince crew members of said boat to perform a little for him.

Though all performances were extremely well done, and while I highly recommend all the perfomances from this year's busker's festival, there is a certain place in my heart for that street mime, Mr. Bunk. And, considering how many stories were shared between me and my girlfriend, and the delighted grins on all the audience members, young and old alike, I have a feeling that many an audience member will be telling of the busker that stole their handcream, stole their camera to take a picture of them with random strangers, or, in my case, stole my hat.