Originally the Iceman appeared with a block of ice and would proceed to erect a platform, which usually collapsed when the block was placed on it. A plastic duck was placed in a container underneath, with puns the essence of the show, for example, “he’s in dry duck now”. The Iceman used a variety of agents to melt the ice, including breath, friction, spray, salt, money, candles, a blowtorch, hammer & chisel, gun and explosives.

The block is usually still in good shape at the end but the Iceman pretends he has melted it by pouring a can of water into the container while manifestly failing to disguise the remains of the block. All this occurs to background sounds of storms and looped clips from an old-fashioned song – ” I Can’t Realise You Love Me” – along with interactive running commentary from the Iceman with mainly icy words. Also many wise sayings are articulated while the audience is encouraged to utter “Deep!Deep!” in unison. More recently live blocks have become more reflective.

During the first live block, at the Royal Festival Hall, the Iceman sat on a stool and read the Financial Times next to the block while perplexed spectators queued up for a meeting with the Iceman and paid for a signed polaroid copy of the block. At the second Royal Festival live block, the Iceman went a stage further and mingled with the audience while a random member of the public took it upon himself to speak rhetorically on the Iceman’s behalf. The audience was bewildered and didn’t know who the real Iceman was. The live act is rarer now but, like its forbears, is always unpredictable and challenging.

One of the most famous blocks was at the Tunnel Palladium. The Iceman had been stuck on a bus on a hot evening in the Blackwall Tunnel, so when the bucket was placed on the platform the block was already in a liquid state. The Iceman went home early that night. Was that a failure or a success? Every member of an audience at a live block will have a different opinion of the Iceman but it cannot be disputed that when the Iceman melts a block of ice in a live setting, something occurs that is truly unique.