I've been running a comedy club* for which, I like to think, I pick out the best of the up-and-coming comics on the circuit to perform in our shows. I'd say I'm pretty good at working out who's going to do well, many of the acts we booked a couple of years ago after seeing them at open mic nights have since gone on to perform in high profile television showcases, been signed by major agents or won comedy competitions, and doing this casting agent-esque work and producing the shows briefly filled my need for taking part in theatrical ventures.
I've also been writing for online magazines and for the theatre. My debut play Rachael's Cafe was premiered last year at the Edinburgh Fringe 2011 and it was an amazing feeling to see my words being spoken aloud by a talented actor and hearing the audience's response there in the moment. I've always been primarily a text based actor with the highest respect for the written word and it's authors, so being on the other side of the script has been an unforgettable experience.
I'm not belittling my past year or so. I've certainly learnt a lot, experienced plenty of ups and downs both in my professional and personal lives and I feel like I've completed the equivalent of a two year theatre and performance course in what I've learnt from the actors and comedians I've worked with regarding writing, acting, the voice, the body, determination, the evolution of material and the artist and too much more to mention. In terms of my own career progress and financial security I feel like I'd be a lot better off continuing down the path I've been paving these last couple of years. After a while, however, watching others progressing in their performance careers is making me feel a little antsy. That's how I realised I wasn't going to be happy without setting foot on a stage again.
Nothing has confirmed this more to me than tonight's experience at the Wyndham's Theatre. I went to see The King's Speech (The Play) and was totally captivated from start to finish. I haven't actually seen the film yet so I went knowing only the actual historical facts behind the play and with no preconceptions or lingering memories of Colin Firth's brand of stuttering King. It's really a very gentle play, it has plenty of humour and perhaps a little too much of a farcical double act courtesy of Winston Churchill and Cosmo Lang, but overall it's a very British tale about loyalty, duty, love and friendship. There were no big musical numbers, no startling technical effects, shocking revelations or interactive moments. Nothing that -for better or for worse- characterises a lot of the theatre making waves on the scene at the moment. A combination of a relatively simple set, clean and effective directing, a beautifully written script and touchingly realised characters kept myself, my Grandmother and the hundreds of people filling the theatre around us utterly enthralled.
Yes, when I'm sitting at home printing out CV after CV, waiting for the telephone to ring, watching others play roles I'm certain were written solely for me and wondering if I'll ever be able to afford my own house I do find it easy to imagine going down another route, still entertainment based but not as risky. But when I see those actors lined up on the stage to take their bow and the audience rising to their feet I know it was worth the wait for them. And it'll be worth the wait for me.
http://www.kingsspeechtheplay.com
*Chatback Comedy Club (www.chatbackcomedy.com)
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