To tell a story... from Ted.com through Dorothea Stuart

Here comes an interesting speech: how to tell a great story, from the creator of the film Toystory, lots to learn from it for any kind of story. Inspiration for all of us.Listen then listen again. As I did.

Standup Sitdown Comedy club gig and Interview

Gig then a short interview by Ed Surname

Mostly audience of comedians that night, so the reaction is not as in Cavendish where more then half of the audience, perhaps 2/3rd was "real" audience. But I feel it is such a good take showing my movements and face during the set, from which some was new that evening at Plumbers Arms.

Comedy with a classical music orchestre

And here link to another version of the similar or same
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5betzRPqZPI#!

1st May festivals - communicating culture

I lived in Argenteuil for seven years, and went from 2004 to take photos and participate in the celebration of artisans and old culture and costumes, near the river Seine, year after year.

Before 2004, I did not have a camera to take with me.

I just put together on flickr a collection of sets, pictures I have taken year after year. Here is one year's set.
  I am going back this year! This time, not only looking as photographer, but also with my comedian's eye. That year, there were many comedians that I admired and took image of, but I did not take videos, alas. Perhaps, this year...

Who wants to compete? I don't. Yet...

Who wants to compete? I hate heats!.
Unless I win.

Well, that is my next set, or at least that is how it will begin that part of it about how I feel and what I say to others about competitions.

I knew I hate them, I told I do not want them.

Yet.

Well, through the three years being a Toastmaster, I found that the competitions propels up the level of our speeches, preparations, results. So, in fact, it is worth it.

Personally, not so much to see if one is better then the other, as in my opinion it is often not the best who wins. Well, unless I am the winner, of course. But even then... Best is to compete against yourself: become better then you were before. And, surprisingly, that works. You really do, I do, others do as I have seen it in our clubs, their best, for a competition. Prepare a lot more, deliver better, put more effort in it.

This Saturday, at Lewisham Methodist Church's smaller room, Area 35 Toastmasters Clubs bests will compete against each other.

First, International Speech Competition, 5 to 7 minutes each. Well, usually all go to the upper limit, which is seven and half or just a few seconds less.

Then, we have a "mystery speaker" for the same amount of time, and a Feedback (it is called Evaluation) Contest. All give the best feedback they can about the same speech and speaker's delivery.



Six clubs from our Area will take part.

Lewisham Speakers, of course, my "home club", Meridian Speakers from Greenwich of which I am also member. Bromley Speakers. Croydon Speakers 2 clubs, and, for the first time, the newly formed Purley Speakers club. So, we will listen, to six speeches plus one. And six feedbacks of the last speaker.

You are all invited. Free for Guests! It begins at 2 30 afternoon, this Saturday. Come to listen to some of our best speakers. I will be host, but all the other roles are from different clubs.
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I am so happy, I decided not to compete this time! But in May, I am on to the second round of Beluchi's Heat, in their Camden's Bar.

My set about hating the Heats is geared toward that time.

Different approaches "Spoonful of Poison" and Standup Sitdown

"Mondays alternate between Kings Cross and Hoxton  :

A Spoonful of Poison is an open-mic night based in London, established circa 2005.

All disciplines are warmly welcomed – music, comedy, poetry and all random performance."

"A Spoonful of Poison" is declared as  "anarchic, symbolic, chaotic, irreverent, lively, funny, weird, challenging, infuriating and refreshingly invigorating." 

It is behind the King Cross Station, across the Regent Canal

THE STAR OF KINGS  126 York Way, Kings Cross, London. N1 0AX

That is why I went there tonight. Interesting mix of different numbers.

"Come back soon!" I was told after my performance.

I tried a different beginning, and a longer ending, and some new stuff in the middle, they worked too! Again, I succeeded to make all laugh again and again. Now, almost the 28th time! 

April 16th I killed (again)!  

More important, by beginning to change the well learned text, slowly, not only I added to it but made it more interesting and challenging to me. 

To the bits I know I will have good laughs as response, I added some new provoking parts. In three places at least!

Where my ideas come from? 
For the moment just being aware and ready to use every thing I hear or see or read. And well made expressions, deformed, provoking delight by surprise. Also adding back some old parts that I dropped too fast. The attitude is so important!

And yes, I will go back or perhaps go to their second venue. The May 21st THE STAG’S HEAD 55 Orsman Road, Hoxton, London, N1 5RA Nearest station = Haggerston (to try out next)  A limited amount of open spots each week are pre-bookable by emailing Spoon.

 I did email before I went yesterday, but I think all were welcomed even those who did not.

David Paris, test the Mic

Tuesday :
Yet another different approach.
StandUp SitDown 
At Plumber's Arms, near Victoria Station

with an Interview of some Comedians 

I was between the "some' 

 (to be seen on video here soon)

"Ed Surname & David Paris present sit-down interviews with stand-up comedians, bringing you the personality behind the performer'.

Well, we did not need that Mic after all, that night, but some used it anyway as a prop. The room had not only great acoustic, but a huge projector screen inside a beautiful frame.

Apprise with prise

From the Advanced Toastmasters Manual, Speech by Management, this project was to Apprise with prise. Give a timely feedback to someone. I choose to speak about Peter Gerlach, who just succeeded to incorporate Purley Speakers and is also a great Area Governor. He filmed my speech.

Here it is:

Modern interaction

Communicating, multitasking is great.

But in my opinion, when we speak to each other, or an audience, we have to be all there.

Also listening to what the other says, not texting or reading at the same time or listening also to music.

Not even thinking: what I will do next?

Images in Twitter!

Well, you can add only a few words in Twitter, but I just discovered I could send images from my Flickr website and they are displayed, on request, a reasonable size! I also was reminded (I forgot) my name on Twitter is not Julie70 even not Julie77, but Julie77London, as this was available when I joined.

I am not a huge Twitterer, but that medium, LinkedIn, Facebook, all good as the blogs to spread the word.
And spreading the word is part of a Competent Communicator task. Do now wait others to do it for you.

My first comic, Latabàr Kàlman, the smaller and funnier guy, in this Hungarian video. I have seen him in a film and laughed and laughed, when I was only ten, during the war. It was 67 years ago, and he was no more young but so funny! In this one, with his brother, first he does "Standup" jokes, a few oneliner jokes, that get a great audience reaction, yes, "standup comedy", before the name was invented. Then they sing from an operetta and dance. Yes, variety was not invented a few years ago!

Small and thin, and playing often the underdog, he was so funny and I did love him when I was only ten! 

Purley Speakers Toastmasters

On Thursday, 12 April 2012, Blogger wrote:
I went back yesterday to Purley, to speak again. Purley Speakers Toastmasters club, finally is ready to be inrporated, and two new joined yesterday, too

Peter Gerlach and his team with Saladdine, Vice president of education in charge of the program's worked with such energy for it.

What a warm atmosphere and high level, too! I learned, was entertained, and for sure, even if Purley is far, will be back, again.

I gave a speech from
Speech by Management Manual, a great one from the series of Advanced Toastmasters. Others, from Speaking to Inform, yet another from Special occasion speech.

After one finishes the first "Basic" manual, called now "Competent Communicator" with the now ten first speeches, the Toastmasters, have many Advanced Manuals to choose from. I opened this blog, just as I finished my CC...

I did "go through" 5 of each of projects from these manuals, so far:
Storytelling
Speciality Speeches
Speak to Informe
Entretaining Speeches
Humour in your speech
interpretative Reading
Speeach by management (now)

All are not egalitarian, some were easy for me, and some I had to think, research a lot, but all taught me some new skills.

As storytelling and stand-up comedy teaches me too, each time again, and again.

Yes, stage time is important, but preparing, creating different types of speech and delivering them, then pondering on them, learning in the process, is too.

I am very happy, comming to London, I found again Toastmasters! And yesterday, at the serious club meeting, I got new ideas for my comming gigs!


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Posted By Blogger to Competent Communicator on 4/12/2012 09:57:00 AM

Spark London Open Mic Storytelling

The third Monday of Each month. The theme is imposed and posted well in advance on Spark's Website but flexible.

                16 April "Pets" / 21 May "Winning"

Each can tell a true personal story for 5 minutes around the proposed theme. One can register on the spot or contacting Spark.. It happens upstairs at Ritzy's in Brixton centre, near the underground station of Brixton (Victoria line)..

Different audience

I did prepare a speech for yesterday "And the award goes" was the title, or "there is a silver lining behind any gray cloud". The Task or Project, as it is called, from my Toastmasters Advanced Manual "speeches by management" was to Deliver Bad News.

The bad new I choose was that my Advanced Communication Gold award, did not go to this club, where I delivered the message, but my main club (where I am president currently). And the sliver lining was, that I am decided to finish another Award and this one to offer to the club instead.

Well, because Eastern, there were relatively few club members present and those present were mostly new. Plus, we had guests, who did not even know what an Award was and its importance for the club, was not evident or interesting to most present.

Indeed, my "bad news" was not affecting them.
 Why is bad? What I am speaking about?

Realizing this, before I begun to speak, I rearranged my speech and explained a lot about what is behind a ribbon the club receives and why it is important and how it shows a club's health and progress. I did not have time to explain about Manuals and Awards. I did succeed to make people laugh, showing my two awards, the Silver written with Golden letters and the Gold written with Silver letters! I realised that just a few hours before the speech, as I took them out, to show!

Why did it happen? Well, at least to be able to make the public laugh about it.

I did succeed, also, finishing early, near the minimum time, not to bore those in audience who did not care about the "bad news" but were interested to understand about Toastmasters clubs and how they work.

It was well received, even if no one cared, or very few, if I will succeed - I will! unless something very bad happens to me - to finish 7 more speeches till end of June. One is for tonight, one Story for next week, three others about programmed for May and June. Then, there are left only two more stories to tell. I can do it!

Alas, as they are specific projects I can not deliver either of them in a Comedy club, but there is an Open Mic Storytelling event in Brixton where I can go in June. So there is only one more story that needs to find a place to be told. There are 43 Toastmasters clubs in London, I am sure I will find an open ear and a spot in one of them from now to end June, when the "official Toastmasters year ends".

But for each, I have to think more carefully about the audience to which I deliver it. Lesson learned.

Comedy drop-in

Ivor Dembina will be leading another comedy drop-in on Saturday 26 May for those interested in doing some work of their own on the art of stand-up comedy. 

I did learn a lot in six hours, the afternoon I went to his drop-in, as he calls them about the "art of stand-up comedy" and even more, understood it more profoundly. So I do recomend it to all, at any level, those who never tried, and those who are giggin' already.

Ivor's Facebook

Julie and the other storytellers

The Guardian proposed to put on our stories, "Changing life after 60".

In fact, that was before the Christmas Bank Holiday. Then they decided to postpone it and it was due to come out for Eastern. Now again: "the next Bank Holiday".

So what?

One more story, true tale or not, of course, it would have been true, is not important. Alas, I have told a group of people, the journal will publish something about me.

So, this is a lesson!

Never tell before the event happened, tell it after only.

Here I was, between Storytellers, at my "pro" speaking event, in Manchester Town hall. Full of people, around tables, this taught me, that more people gives more energy!

One of others, is teli presenter, the other goes from storytelling event to other in New York, yet another teaching moving for acting at Opera. I was between them the "newest" storyteller. And my story was the most talked about, it seems, after the event.

Yes, I was paid for the day, but the most important was the sentiment of being welcomed so well by all those attending. And even more that I can do it:!

Click on the blue, to see telling the story "I was ten" in Manchester. How all that came up today? Someone did favorit one of my pictures of the Manchester set, this morning.

Way out West

There are many Comedy Clubs in London, so why should I go way out?

Well, this club was in Brentford, only West of London, along the Tames.

Paul Wogan and Jim Kent opened a stand up comedy show, each first Friday of the month. Should I go?

I was invited by Facebook, at least so I thought, so I decided to go so far, taking bus, underground and bus again. The Griffin's Pub, TW8 0NP Brook Road, the bus station is Goat Warf, and I found it was near the river Tames.

First I took some pictures of the river, then at wall art along the way. I did arrive too early. Waited. Met some known and some new comedy pals. Found out that the entry is outside the pub, around the corner.

I was not on the list!

Anyway, I found a warm welcome, and Paul and Jim gave me my five minutes, and even early, as I asked. The place was full, the audience warm and I warmed them up even more. It was for me a very satisfying 25th giggin'. Well worth going "way out west"!

From now on, and with five others in April, I can no more call myself "Virgin" of comedy. I begun really to understand the "ropes" and what makes the audience react and how to move them.

A leaflet, like this one, very professionally printed, convincing on web public and comedians to come, did work! And warm welcome, good programming, helps to bring them back. Another lesson, too.

One never can know, something you go into for a reason, where it can lead!

Direct from Ted: augmented reality magic

and what a wonderful movement, too, at a very different kind, as he spins a story, too!
One can learn from so many different people and places! But they all spin some kind of story, in fact. Here, Marcot Tempest using the latest technology to show us what is possible, telling and at the same time yes, demonstrating it.

Speaks also with gestures

Yes!

Quel orateur!

 Nicolas Sarkozy speaks with all his body and so well! I did not follow what happened in France, where he was not invited, but how wonderfully he uses what could have been his drawback! Of course, he is also telling us a tale, and his take on it. Still, I am for Sarko! One does not have to be big to great!

All together on stage

A group photo with a frame, makes the image more "official" and seems more serious to me. Almost as when we frame our speeches with a beginning and similar circular end.

Here it is from our Lewisham Speakers Club Contest night.

The Contest Chair is interrogating all Contestants one by one. At this moment, one of them was answering.

There is place possibly for more "formal" photos, but I do believe in making each a "slice of life", as well as our speeches, stories or stand-up comedy. A slice of life remains in the heart, not only on the "wall" or an album.

Using uniqueness (all the other places are taken)

How I lost my wonderful post I just wrote? Well...

Yesterday, Toastmasters International Speech and Evaluation Contest, at Canary Wharf's Area 31.

I remembered a quote of Ralph Smedlay founder of Toastmasters "we do learn a lot by preparing and delivering a speech, and also by giving instantanous speeches, but we do learn also a lot listening and analysing speeches made by others."

I did learn a lot listening to all the others!

In plus, towards the end of the meeting I was asked also to comment in two minutes on an Oscar Wilde quote "Be unique, all the other places are taken."

I commented on it with personal storytelling and humour.

Lots of laughter from the audience and great complicity and understanding. I related how I was feeling bad and finally succeeded to use my uniqueness to my advantage. I now discovered new material, add hock, and also a future story I can tell.

More frustrations come our way, the more (with the right attitude) we can make laugh the audience. At the same time, also get across our point. I did, yesterday both

A more professional video of my gig

Taken by Frank Cassidy from the Dead Comedian's Socks at Dirty Dicks, (across Liverpool Street station) end March.

The light was right. The distance too. The only problem is that I was looking at the audience and not up there where the camera was, so it looks as if I was "looking down"
But so far, this is the most "pro" video I have from my gigs. And soon, I will have to change my set, put more new material in it.

I already started yesterday, near Westminster, at the Electric Mouse Big Ben. Great welcome, lots of audience (the small basement place was bonded!) and I got lots of laughter too. My new beginning and end worked very well. So now, on to more changes!