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G'day my people
Posted Thursday, July 22, 2004
G’day my people! I’m a few days into the Australian Tour, arrived on Monday and went straight into a promotional maelstrom. 7 30 the day after I arrived, I was on the Today programme. Had a bit of a laugh with those guys ; a very tall man called Richard came into my dressing room and tried to ascertain what I might do on the air. I love it when that happens, its almost as though they’re asking ‘ you will be funny won’t you?’ (Comedians hate this –like we don’t know we’re expected to be funny..) Anyway, it was a hoot, I read their auto cue (always a hoot) stole the womans pointy shoes and did comedy jokes with them and basically had big fun.
Next was Kerry Anne who’s sort of …a tall Gloria Hunniford. She is very loved here –and was very kind to me. She had organised for us to do our segment from the ‘Hendo Lounge’, which was a tiny room downstairs near reception – with glass on one side looking out to the car park. As the interview proceeded – people walked across the car park delivering packages, pushing fire extinguishers, and so on – so as people went by, I went off to talk to them and get them on the telly. it was very funny (to me anyway). I figure with these things, as long as something happens that allows a bit of improv in each interview, then we’re alright.
I did a classical music show on ABC radio –I really enjoyed this, because it was a welcome change in pace from the ‘comedy terrorism ’ style of the other interviews. I realise now, that actually – to promote ‘So Much things to Say’ is quite difficult. You can’t really do little bits from the show during interviews, because taken out of context, some of the material is weird. So basically I just have to get them to trust ‘Lenny Henry the performer’ so that if I say the show is cool, then they’ll go, ‘alright, we’ll give it a go.’
Yesterday I was on the Nova radio station’s breakfast show, with Dave, Kate and Hughesy….(also named Dave). they were a hoot. These guys are all comics –it seems to be a thing here where, young up and coming comics when they’ve upped and come, end up on the radio, they had Richard Stubbs, (v.good comic) and Wendy Harmer (v.good comic ) on broadcasting for ages over here…be very interesting if Harry Hill had a daily radio show, or Bill Bailey, or Dylan Moran, in the UK …
I think radio is a great medium for connecting with your audience –I also think that the mixture of live broadcast, great music and specially written material is pretty unbeatable. I go on these shows here, and listen to the DJ comics pumping out riffs based on the news, gossip, music and so on and I feel a slight twinge of envy.
First
show last night in Canberra, really lovely day, crisp, cold (but not freezing)weather. The venue was huge, not essentially a theatre with three levels –it was just one level that stretched back ( not a particularly great prospect for an intimate show ).
Come showtime, I’m really nervous –It occurs to me that, because we wrote and improvised this show right up until the last minute, writing new material directly into an auto cue script – I have never done this show without using a prompter.
Last night was the first time I had to use my memory for this show….my God –how daunting is that. .for the first time in ages –I’m having to do some heavy lifting with my brain and it hurts.
I think I knew somewhere in my waters that learning /retaining material was going to be really important to me for this show –so I hooked up with Henry Hopkins and Dominic O’Brien. They run this organisation called Peak Performance and are able to hook your brain up to a computer ( I shit you not) which is able to see how left brained or right brained –I was astounded to see my brainwaves represented on screen – I always thought there’d be a flat line or something, but I could clearly see that I was right brained to blouse and skirt (not that much though). I highly recommend them – after the first day I could see better. It was unbelievable! The next day, I worked with Dominic O’Brien –who was brilliant – taught me various things about memory retention, creativity , Dendrites, Axons, the Loci method, I was blown away. So using several of these methods, I memorised a two hour show –go figure..
These guys rock, check ‘em out.
I also had osteopathy last night in Canberra after the show from a guy called Steve McGowan, who is probably the grooviest masseuse I’ve ever met. He talked about the technical side of what he was doing throughout non stop and when he’d finished –I’d straightened up. .and the pain had gone out of my back..
Top man.
Speak soon
Love –Lenworth…
Oz pictures!
I'm going to try and send you odd pictures from the Australian tour . This one was taken on the Balcony of the hotel in Melbourne. The photographer's name was Wombat ...That's right 'Wombat', he was actually a good bloke -and I think he knows his stuff. check out this picture.
more to come - Specially as Ken Bowlley has decided that this trip is 'all about shoes' baby!
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