Tell the story you want to, in the way you dream of doing!

Is there a story you want to tell, from family legend or just something that moved you? Are you afraid that it will be a waste of time, you could fail, no one may turn up or choose to tune in? Whether it is a multimedia art exhibition, a short film, an album of songs inspired by a truly bad breakup I know that these stories of human trial, effort and yes sometimes failure are how we, as artists help heal the world. We have to learn not to listen to the naysaying voices in our own head and our family, friends and those who really are in the industry and ‘know’ far more than we. The current art installation of poppies at the Tower of London (I took all these photos shortly as the last of the 888, 246 ceramic poppies was added, I am sure made a few people think the artist had gone mad. It has though over the past few months been a huge source of pride, reflection and joy. I went on Tuesday and despite the crowds it was calm, quiet and everyone was very respectful.

Last night I saw a friend of mine crushed at a ‘meet the casting director’ night organised by Spotlight, the casting directory. Three very good casting directors were responding to a question about if they like going to one person shows. They expressed a preference for shows with dialogue and characters. I can completely understand where they are coming from, they want to see lots of actors in great plays and when you are as busy as they are trying to fit in a few nights each week at the theatre, then they need to maximise their time. Hence the more people on stage the more they can add to their encyclopaedic knowledge of working actors out there. This is not wrong and they acknowledged they had seen some great solo shows but if they had a choice between a solo show and a show populated with lots of actors, all things being equal they would go to the ensemble piece,

However my friend who is thinking about doing a one woman show about her experience of rape was upset, thinking she is about to spend all that time, expense and energy working on her show and no one is going to bother coming to see it.

I tend to think of myself as mild mannered but actually I know I am fooling myself. I immediately had to respond from a ‘you need to tell the story you want to tell’ exclamatory stand point in the bar afterwards. Forget fashion, who may or may not come, all great art is a story told powerfully and truthfully from one artists vision, whether it is thro

ugh a show, a sculpture exhibition or a script. Yes maybe at some point industry may get involved and shape it if further funding gets involved. But let us not worry about that yet. Let’s tell our stories our way. I am sure when they were filming the silent, in black and white movie The Artist, most of the industry thought the producers and directors were mad. It has won enough awards now to fully disprove that.

I say this as I am in the process of booking spaces for my ‘The Singing Psychic’ solo theatre piece, the first being in February all being well at the Tristan Bates Theatre in Covent Garden. It is a mix of stand up, characters, songs and immersive theatre work. On screen all I am being seen and booked for is dramatic roles but I have spent years on stage doing my own work and stand up. I can hear the negative voices in my head as I prepare to take my workshopped 20 minutes of the show into a full 50 odd minutes. The voices say things like

• I might be terrible
• I may be publicly ridiculed
• The show might only work for 20 minutes, not a whole hour
• Can I be funny for an entire hour?
• I don’t actually plan to be funny for a whole hour.
• People may get bored
• It could be a stupid idea
• I may not be able to fully actualise the story
• I don’t have the time
• People that I want to see it may not come
• I have not been practising singing much recently
• There is so much work to do and I know I procrastinate til the final deadline
• I need to make youtube sketches first, I don’t have the energy to learn how to do it
• I might make the worlds worst youtube versions and then no one will come to see the live show
• I need to organise a character photoshoot
• Maybe I need to go back to my singing teacher for some tips on singing like Maria Callas
• I have lots of research to do and I am busy.

Still I know me, the only way things happen is if I book a venue and a show so I have an unalterable deadline. I remember hearing Willy Russell the fabulous playwright of such gems as Shirley Valentine, Educating Rita and One For The Road. He only writes to paid deadlines and even tried to give the money back a few times as he had no inspiration. Finally backed in a corner he wrote about a panelled library office very much like the one that he sat in, Educating Rita was born. So it is happening, my show, my story of this character is being told, no matter what obstacles I put in my own way.

What story do you need to tell? What is the next step you can make today, no matter how small, a phone call or ordering a research book on Amazon to move your project forward?