Competent Communicator: You can afford risk and mistakes

About me

77 old, living in London, I begun this blog when I finished my Competent Comunicator Manual at Toastmasters.

Retired, but very active: Photographing, telling personal stories, and continuing to speak in my clubs, too.

Born with Hungarian mother language in Transylvania, I have lived 45 years in France, and three in USA 30 years ago, near Washington DC. There, I have joined Silver Spring's Monument Toastmasters and used what I learned in

my work.

Recently, member of three Toastmasters's clubs, Lewisham Speakers, Meridian and London Trustmasters.

I do more and more Storytelling before 'real' public, learning as I go to tell better, have finished my Advanced Communicator Gold.

After my third Stand Up Comedy Workshop, I started Gigging! Now soon over the 55th gig, most in London.

On Julie Kertesz

Julie Kertesz - Hungarian 77 year old comedienne performing 5 Minutes of Stand-up at The Lion's Den Comedy Club May 2012. An unexpected nugget of gold this one. You gotta love her! Tim, Lions Den (with a video published YouTube) producer

20th March 2012 Comedy Car Crash, Another superb Comedy Car Crash. The birth of more than one promising act and a brilliant performance by 77 year old Julie Kertesz. By Tim / by: Lions Den" (Facebook)

Nicola Kaleido www.clubkaleido.com
Thanks for a fantastic 10 mins Julie. It was a great atmosphere at the first night. Looking forward to the next one... (Facebook) - after my first paid gig

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/10/27/julie-kertesz/

United Kingdom: At Age 77, a Life of Inspiration, Global Voices

" Julie Kertesz is someone who celebrates her 77 years of age as she celebrates life itself. Retired but very active, Julie defines herself as a storyteller and photographer. She is also a prolific blogger, a videomaker and is just getting started in stand up comedy.

Many links and citations in this page, translated in 13 languages."

Standup at the Dogstar, on Max your voice

Upstairs, where the stand-ups perform it’s completely different. About 130 of us sit and wait in anticipation for the first turn, who is the hyper-active Australian sounding South African maître de, Chris, who shouts and jives about a lot. He gets funnier as the night progresses.

Suddenly we’re off and the first comedian’s on.

If I had to choose 3 they would be the wonderfully droll and cheeky 70 something: Julie Kertesz, the fresh faced bemused Manchurian: Jimmy Mills and the bizarre quintessential Frenchman who loves the English: Pierre La Poule.

http://laughinghorsecomedy.co.uk/newactcomp/index.asp
http://www.maxyourvoice.com/standup-at-the-dogstar

PS End Octobre 2011, after my first Comedy club gig
_____:

"Julie's Keynote was an inspiring and invigorating start to our Creative Ageing Day,

with the stories and experiences which she shared successfully bringing a broad group

of delegates on board to fully engage with the activities and sessions on offer.

As a storyteller and speaker her wholehearted zest humour and creativity is evident

as a driving force throughout her own life, work and latterly in her responses to the ageing process.

This is the Kertesz 'touch' from which many of our delegates drew strength and encouragement

to take some of their own creative risks!

Gillian Steel - Senior Cultural Coordinator, South Ayrshire Council"

----------

From the Guardian, by Brian Logan, February 2012 :

"Kertesz's comedy is all about up-ending expectations and stereotypes. Besides the swearing, she jokes about her ex-husband's infidelities, and her own sexual appetites – much to her daughter's dismay. "I say standup is like making love," she says. "You have to look people in the eyes, you have to pace yourself, you have to practise, and you never give up – even after 70."

Kertesz thinks her age gives her an advantage. It buys her instant audience affection, and plenty of cliches to subvert. But not all of her fellow contestants will be playing the grey-haired card. Jimbo, aged 68, is already a legend, of sorts, on the open-mic (amateur) circuit. "I never do any age-related stuff," he says. "To me, it's demeaning. It's a taboo subject."

Kertesz feels in no need of a lucky break. "I heard comedy careers involve lots of ups and downs," she says. "But I haven't had any downs yet."

In the course of her standup career, now into its fourth month, Julie Kertesz has overcome some unusual obstacles. First, there were the exacting nocturnal shifts. "But I discovered I can sleep in the afternoon," she smiles. Then there was the month she had to take off for a cataract operation. Clearly, it's not easy starting a new career in live comedy at the age of 77, but Kertesz isn't alone in disproving the adage that standup is a young person's game : a new event, the Silver Standup Competition for over-55s, aims to debunk the notion for good..

Brian Logan,
- guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 14 February 2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2012/feb/14/silver-standup-comedy-over-55s?newsfeed=true

_____

The Independent, 2012 Sunday, 19 February, Leicester

Silver Comedy Stand-Up of the Year: 'Heard the one about the old ones being the best?'

With her tightly curled grey hair, oversized cardie and sweet smile, Julie Kertesz looks like the sort of granny who fishes in her pockets and hands out fluff-covered humbugs. But then she opens her mouth: "I'm 77 years old; what the fack am I doing stand-up for?"

Rather than antique sweets, she dishes out a profanity-filled comedy spiel that arcs from biting reflections on catching cheating lovers to the perils of shaving unwanted female facial hair.

At the Leicester's community arts centre as part of Dave’s Leicester Comedy Festival, the longest running festival of its kind in the UK.

"The final 10 battle again, this time in front of a paying public of 100 or so and a panel of five judges. Shelley's skit on being born a man raises the biggest laughs again and she takes home the prized golden microphone for Silver Comedy Stand-Up of the Year. Potty-mouthed Julie Kertesz bags Best Old Newcomer and is sporting a victory grin. "My pleasure is not to win but to make people laugh and to challenge stereotypes about age," she says.

Emily Dugan, page 33

_____

"You showed real class and professionalism last night. Your 20 gigs of experience come across more like 50. You didn't let a cold atmosphere get in your way at all. Well done to you."

David Hyde

TV appearance

January 2013

Sky news

http://www.4thought.tv/themes/what-does-it-take-to-change-your-life/julie-kertesz?success=comment

Competent Communicator

20/08/2012

You can afford risk and mistakes

No comments:

Post a Comment