Not watching other comedians

After a lineup show other comedians sometimes ask me for "notes" (feedback) on their performance. I usually can't do this in a useful way, this is specially true for shows I'm helping to run such as our own One Mic Stand-up but also applies when I'm just a member of the line-up.

If I'm at a show, I'm almost always there to work. I may be a performer, I may be the MC, or I may be the producer.

The Grin Reaper at Auckland Fringe 2020

It's finally no longer under embargo. We're putting our comedy play The Grin Reaper on as part of Auckland Fringe in 2020.

The shows will be at 8 PM 26-28th February at TST Studio, 37 Mt Eden Road. That's right next door to The Powerstation.

This won't be quite the same show as we did in Palmerston North. We're going to have three cast members which means that the monologues we wrote to cover costume changes won't be needed. Two of them advanced the plot enough that they'll be kept and the others will be gone. This should make the play much tighter.

Tickets will be on sale soon & meanwhile you can follow us either on Facebook or our dedicated website The Grin Reaper.

DEATH as a "small man"

Two years ago today I wrote this on Facebook.

"I am a fictionalizing philosopher, not a novelist; my novel and story-writing ability is employed as a means to formulate my perception. The core of my writing is not art but truth. Thus what I tell is the truth, yet I can do nothing to alleviate it, either by deed or explanation. " -- Philip K Dick
Substitute comedy/comedian for novel/novelist and this is remarkably similar to what I aspire to do with my comedy. Tell my truth through jokes and hopefully get some of the underlying message to my audience. Who knows, maybe I'll change the world for the better in some tiny way?

I then proceeded to forget about it it until Facebook reminded me.

Interesting anniversary

Interesting anniversary. Four years ago today I announced that I was dropping out of comedy for a few weeks. Except it wasn't as Julia Clement I announced it, it was done under my birth name.

At that point I was living a weird mixed life where in a very few contexts I was Julia & not in others. Tessa Clement knew & I think I'd made contact with Genderbridge. What I didn't say in this post was that my plan was to return to the stage as Julia.

That Question (Short Story)

I looked straight at him, I had guessed this question would come and I thought I was prepared. I had a well rehearsed answer, an answer I had told myself so many times and occasionally told others I knew it by heart. It was an answer I believed.

In retrospect I should have seen the danger signs.