Happened in Soho too

I was preparing for weeks a story about Soho a true story to tell at the Foyles Charing Cross Café, with Spark London. I had different things to say, but how to concentrate it in only 7 to 10 minutes?

What to tell and what leave out? What is the point? I waited till the last minute, knowing that yesterday evening I will perform, yet again in the Soho's comedy club called Lions Den near Picadilly Circus.

Coming out of it, new adventures happened, new sights and sounds. Here is a short slide show.


Now, I have a new story an new point, a new end at least.

Lions Den Text by TIM (From Facebook)

"I am proud to announce this truly epic night! This will be a night you will remember for a long time! I'm ticketing the event because I anticipate massive demand...

If you have a ticket your place is assured. (TIM) There may be entry at the door but don't count on it! Book: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/173230 

Doors Open at 6pm to come in, get a good seat, have a drink and chill. The show starts at 7.30 pm and runs till 10 pm this Thursday!

After storming last year’s Edinburgh Festival with his thrilling hit Dare To Dream and becoming an Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee, winning Dave’s Best Joke Of The Festival, getting a major thumbs up from the critics and having a sellout run at the Soho Theatre, Nick brings his brand new bloody, beautiful show This Means War! to his burgeoning British legion of shell-shocked fans. 
The past couple of years have truly been tremendous for Nick, breaking through as he did during Edinburgh Fringe 2010 with a sellout run of his excellent Keep Hold Of The Gold ( The Lion's Den's favourite show of the Fringe ) and last year’s monster hit Dare To Dream.

Supporting acts are:

Billy Breeze
Super hot new act we've been seeing at the Comedy Car Crash

Celia Pacquola
Awesome Australian comedienne - winner of 'The Age Critics Award for Best Australian Show' at the 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Mark Restuccia
Finalist in the 2010 Laughing Horse new act of the year competition, old friend of the Den and Truly Funny f**ker 



Julie Kertesz
77 year old Hungarian Story Teller. We met her a couple of months ago, laughed out loud and know you're going to lover her as much as we do.(Silver Comedy Best Newcomer 2012 winner at Dave's Festival.
 
An awesome line-up that will have you chuckling for days afterwards. Don't miss out on this!

I was the one to open finally. 

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This vido is added by me, 'old' video taken 10 month ago of Nick performing. What an energy!  

Well, we do not have to be all like him, have his energy and drive and artistry. We have to be each time, only better then we were last time!

Toastmaster Officer Meeting end June

A bit of informality helps to make a picture come to life. Till they stayed to pose, nothing good came out alas.

But as soon as they were a little more relaxed, all changed.

Another lesson from yesterday: a small group is more easy to photography then a bigger one.

And of course, be aware from where the light comes and do not go against it but use it. If the group listens. When they do, their pictures comes out better.

And yet another that probably applies also to public speaking or comedy, or any other contact: the quality of smile and sympathy one can read from a face makes a lot of difference.

Here are three new Area Governors (this one taken by a collegue)

We all smile, three different smiles with three personalities, and it is a nice picture. But the photographer told me, after taking another pictures (that I do not show here) to put my white hair farther from my collegue so her medalion shows better and that took out a special smile from me.

I complied. It worked for her but even more for me, I think.

New skills Impro 23/24 Juin

This weekend two afternoon we will learn with Luisa Improvisation, a skill we can all use.

I am looking forward learning from her. "Chicago style improvisation" 10 hours will be intensive for my age, but I'll go for it.

The 23 and 24 June

1-6pm at Rudys Revenge

right by Tottenham Court Road, or Covent Garden or Leicester Square Holborn Covent Garden Apartments, 94-99 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6LF

Alas, that was only so so, at least for me.

Which you prefer?

Between two pictures, between two speches or stories, it is not always that comes more evident, that we remember, we love most, stays with us longer.

Which you prefer?

Each had its different attraction for us. Why you like one of them and why the other?

Taken both yesterday noon, Canada Quare, Canary Wharf. One without asking between a statue (he is writing), the other one, I did, then said "look to me now please." (she was reading).

Three great gigs and 2 stories.

I am not gigging a lot, from now to the end of month, but those I do are important.

Female Competition the 18 June Monday in London for me "FunnysFunny", that is how comedy competitions are called.

Link to the competition and the place.

All women, 5 to 7 minutes. We were 12 that night, I was the 11.

Funny Funny.

Great women comedians but I could not "see" only hear. The place was full. We were waiting in the entrance. Very long wait, for my tour to come.

I was tired, I forgot some lines, mixed up words, but went on and it was all worth it. I killed. "I spilled my beer so much I laughed. Good stuff, good stuff." Huge, long and massive laughs. One feels so well after!.

Thursday, soon, 5 minutes of fame Comedy club near Angel is a grat place, well lead and always full with good public, I was there six month ago. I think, I made some progress in that time, even if my text evolved slowly. So my hopes are high to make all, have good time. THE CAMDEN HEAD! 2 Camden Passage, Islington, Angel

I need someone with me, there!

The 29 June, 10 minutes special, slot at same time as some great comics at the Lyons Den, but by that time, I have not only to have a grat ten minutes material, but a true but funny tale of my adventure about when I went there the first time.

"You? Performing? ..... Ok"

They loved my set! And invited me back more then once.

The Storytelling is at Foyles, Charing Cross, end of the month, the 30th. Their biggest bookshop in London. Theme: Tales of Soho. Well, Lions Den is in London, I will use some of my adventures from the Rumba pub.

And July 1 Festival of Bizzare in Greenwhich, 2, Storytelling Previeux of Edinbourgh at Canal Café Theatre. Buzzy days before me.

At the same time I will go to three or four Toastmasters Club, now (till 30) as incoming Area Governor, then I will become one for a year.

Come see me at any of these events.

Soho Stories with Spark London and National Trust

On the 30th of June we are teaming up with the National Trust to produce a show celebrating true stories of Soho. It will take pace in Foyles bookshop and will feature some well known Soho folk and some Spark London faces. 

 Me, too!

Tickets are on sale now. At £5 each it will be a great value evening of stories. Book now to grantee your place.  http://www.foyles.co.uk/Spark-London

SOHO STORIES - A Spark London and National Trust Storytelling Evening with Clayton Littlewood, Radcl

www.foyles.co.uk

SOHO STORIES -

A Spark London and National Trust Storytelling Evening with Clayton Littlewood, Radcliffe Royds and Tony Hickson, Julie Kertesz

Two clowns at Cavendish Arms

The two clowns between 16 comedians, The gig is called "Comedy Virgins" but in fact we had only one between us who has just begun. The others have done if already a few times...

 The venue was full, some even standing in the back.

At the end, we were voted by cheers ans applause, as the best two yesterday, Tuesday evening by the audience where 2 women, I was the one who came home with the tiny cup.
I almost like more the sound track that my small recorder has taken. What a wonderful public in Cavendish Arms! They gave me such a warm welcome.

Why the same number produces so different reaction from one to other?
My daughter-in-law (that I mentioned in the gig) took videos from the back and I realised that a impromptu joke about her (and not minding my language) added laugher after laugher.

Finally, I also dared to try out more new material and most of it worked well.

Now, I have ten minutes, even if I can tell only five at a time most places. Each time, we learn something new. This time, I learned more about "try out, see what works, write down if not yet done." Also, that when I change, I have to learn again the thread, the connections, if I do not want to leave out pieces.

The Open Mic circuit for Stand-up Comedians (but also storytellers, public speakers) is a great way of learning! And I am lucky to live in London. Going to one is no more that one and half hour usually. Three hours going and returning. Yes, for five or seven minutes that I prepared and I refine all the time.

Today The Guardian send me a copy "Life begins at 60"

Today, an article on more then two pages of the supplement (title Life begins at 60) written by Homa just appeared in The Guardian. 

They have send in February a photographer to a gig, and after that told me "it will come out in a bank holiday". Well what better, then the one of the Diamond Jubilee!

And it is true to what I told her in December last year, she even added to it me winning the Silver Comedy Newcomer 2012 and Advanced Communicator Gold of Toastmasters. Well the last, we earn not win. A lot of work and speeches behind it. And the paper speaks and adds a link also about Spark London with whom I tell stories.

The story from the Guardian, is also on the web, dated yesterday, the paper appeared today, 5th of June 2012 , she even added on web a few links! What a difference of tone between the different papers and interviewers !

here just another "screen dump", if you are interested go to the guardian page from the link above.

On the Guardian web pasge, there are also links to Toastmasters International, Spark London, Silver Comedy and divers blogs and websites from me.

There are papers and papers, interviews and interviews. All are not the same.

Yesterday, Comedy Blogedy, have published an interview, with what I indeed answered to Sara's questions. I will write about her blog in more detail later, you could read the interview on-line for the moment. She added a video of my performance and links to my social networks.

I will write here about all, the Real People in May, did put into my mouth things I never said and added a lot to whatever I have initially told them. They gave me a stick, intentions and moves I never had and phrases I never said either. And to think that they even pay someone to find them "that story"!

My childhood ended at 11

This is the text I prepared to deliver, a story with emotion in it.

I did deliver a version of it two weeks ago at the Meridan Speakers.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

But I am on it only for a few seconds with other two storytellers, but I am there. Well, for me it means, the public from Manchester, where the seconds were taken, loved us and me. Loved our true stories and how we told them. I will be there also at the True Stories organised again by Johanna Yates from Spark London and Grant's Whisky. Edinburgh Fringe from 4 to 9 August. 6 themes 6 stories 6 nights.

All that can be conveyed in less then 2 minutes

I was there, last year, in August, the Toastmasters Contest in Las Vegas and I do remember "seeing" her juggling and showing all a woman has to do. I did not remember all her humour and implication. Now, I understand it, better.

No, a Toasmaster does not have to be "virginal" and can be suggestive too, like she is here in a point. But she does get her point across: all women have to do at once, in their lives.

I am happy, she begun to publish parts and share with us. Thanks, Olivia! She was the best! But she went a few seconds too long. That could have been also said in a Stand Up Comedy, this part at least, when after the Contest, she answers the emcee

Yesterday we celebrated looking at George Carlin's best's

Well, how much to learn from it! Observe not only what he sais but how he moves how he modulates his voice his hands his head and body.

How a complete actor good comedians are So much to learn from them.

Look also at Eddy Murphy's one whole hour, as much as possible, as I did just the day before.

Again, not only what but how. He moves more and never by chance, always well aware where his body where his head or eyes are.

"Some of the best acts that are floating about"

The Ravensbourne Arms Mic project the IIIrd

323 Lewisham High Street, SE13 6NR
   Facebook Gary John Senior 

Thursday 20:30 until 23:30

A right nice evening of comedy, from some of the best acts that are floating about at the moment.  Hosted by the 'ultra glamorous' Stephen Bailey

Ben Adams Chris Ashdon Luke Oliver Phillip Jones

Julie Kertesz,  Brian Chimombo, Phillip Wragg, Simon Caine, Suzy Wylde, James Rankin, Michael Legge

A noisy place alas, costumers on the other side of the room eating and chatting. Great place for dinner.
Great welcome and very friendly people and we had some great audience also enjoying our gigging.

Great people all at the place to welcome us and all who come!

10 minutes for me as I tried out also some new material!