Show and Update on Tea Salons

Hallo Lovely Patreonites

What a weekend! It’s been so many things, I almost don’t know where to start.

Let’s do; Tea Salon Update, Talk About Friday’s show and then Mum’s birthday.

Tea Salons Update

So, we’ve done 3 salons so far, and are figuring out what works. So far, I’ve spent a fair bit of time introducing you wonderful people to one another, because I’m so pleased with all of you, but I think in future (as you all get to know one another more) I’ll leave that in the chat and we’ll do a more structured first half and then some questions and then everyone talks more freely?

Anyway, it’s been wonderful to do them so far. I think the way it will go is, Tuesday 8pm, alternating each week of the month thus:

week 1 AEST, week 2 BST, Week 3 PST and then a week off, but I’m open to suggestions, as ever.

Anyway, this Tuesday 1 Dec is off. The next one will be 8pm AEST on the 8 December - For reasons such as, “giving myself a sustainable schedule” and “the other two topics in this update”.

Speaking of which...

Friday’s Show

Having managed to wrangle NO “two drink minimum” from the Comedy Store at the cost of me fronting a higher percentage of the venue hire, I felt a fair bit of pressure to sell enough tickets to at least break even financially on the show. So I was very relieved when people started walking in. I started on stage as people entered, half to deal with my nerves about doing a live hour to a flesh and blood (and bones, guts, etc) audience for the first time since March(!), and half to keep the vibe human and casual. I’m not a massive fan of the big WELCOME TO THE STAGE... announcement in a solo show, it feels like it puts up a status barrier - and I’m not one of the comedians who wants to be a rock star, you know? So, start on stage to just be easing in, seeing the audience as humans and so they can see me as a human.

The audience was lovely, and so the show was lovely - about 2/3rds new material that I had written for CHRONOS and 1/3 old material, so the audience could be sure of getting some properly polished jokes for their money. I sold the show without a title, just as an hour of comedy because I wouldn’t have had the gall to try performing CHRONOS in full for only the second time ever, after 9 months off.

I hadn’t looked at the script since the first and only time I’d performed it in Glasgow in March, having written it on the train up (I adore a deadline), and I was surprised at how well it held up, with only a few major shifts. It was a hugely heartwarming feeling to perform to people again, and feel the room.

It was also fabulous that Sam Streeter helped me figure out how to livestream it to you lovelies! That was important to me; I think it’s one of the good outcomes of the horrible pandemic - more accessibility to shows for people who are disabled/far away/too poor for a night out.

Even with my ancient computer shitting out on the visuals, as I found out after the show, the audio came through well, which I feel is the most important bit. I’ll get a new laptop before next time!

Mum’s birthday.

So that was Friday and then on Saturday 28th of November, I drove to The Blue Mountains with my family for a little getaway and to commemorate mum’s birthday, which it would have been. It was nice to tell little Lucy about her namesake, and was very beautiful. Apart from the 40 degree heat and the 90km winds, it was immensely relaxing.