Australian Cabaret Summer School: Day 4 - Insecurities

Left to Right: Shelley Dunstone, Jenny Wynter and Carla Conlin cabareted up for our photo shoot

By Jenny Wynter

There comes a time in every student’s life when their brain gets so filled with information, ideas and inspiration that it - how can I put this - begins to fall out of their head.

Day four marks such a moment for yours truly, though in a very serendipitous turn of events, this brain-frying time coincides with a photo shoot for The Advertiser. Or as I like to put it, an hour where sequins, boas and bling take the place of any required brain-exertion. Three of us Summer School students have a grand time primping, posing and pouting for the cameras (the girls christen my cowboy boots “The Cabaret Boots”) in the spectacular Promethean, where we will be performing this Saturday night. (Tickets are still available, but get in quick! http://www.cabaretconfessional.com/summerschool/)

Then back to class it is, where Paul Boylon from the beyond-gorgeous Adelaide cabaret venue La Boheme presents a session. He shares his insights into the process of taking a show from its inception to the stage, including the opportunities to do just that at La Boheme itself!

Annie Siegmann being coached in our comedy workshop by Jo Coventry

We are then treated to a wonderful fusion of storytelling and comedy coaching under the guidance of Jo Coventry. We gather in a circle to do a “campfire type exercise”, with Jo instructing us to share stories, which are “true and contains some element of pain.” 

Despite many people prefacing their stories with “I don’t think this is a particularly funny story,” laughs run rampant. It illustrates yet again how strongly stories connect us to each other and how humour can be found just by revealing the truth (particularly the painful truth!) from our own lives.

The remainder of the day is spent continuing to work on our shows. We write, re-write and try out the patter of our works-in-progress in front of each other, with Jo, Catherine Campbell and our fellow classmates giving us immediate feedback.

Notes that particularly stand out to me include:

- Invite the audience into a world, which we might not ordinarily see - e.g. the world of competitive ballet may seem normal to you, but it is not to us. Share it!

- We like unexpected endings to our stories. Lead us in one direction and then smack us with a surprise.

- Get to the funny part quicker (a key comedy concept), but avoid being too wordy. Find the shortest way to say what you want to say! 

Everybody is busy writing their shows for Saturday’s showcase

By mid-afternoon, my 10-minute show is looking a lot like one of those boards at an airport where the flights are continually shuffling and changing around. The songs I have in mind keep changing, one adds, one gets cancelled, one is delayed…Matthew Carey and I chat through it and by the end of our session, I commit to a running order I can work with. I come to the resolution that there are infinite ways this could be done. At the end of the day though, you have to pick one to run with and make it work.

It really is fascinating to see everybody’s shows beginning to take shape; this is our first glance at what the full showcase will look like on Saturday! Some people’s shows are so deeply personal that I find myself wanting to leap up and hug them. Ah, again, the power of connection!

It strikes me that the participants often preface their run-through with “I’m not really sure if this works…” or “I don’t think it’s very funny…” only to go on to something that really DOES work, and/or that IS really funny! I am realising more each day how a) our insecurities as performers (and all human beings, for that matter) are something we have to deal with and b) how those insecurities have to do with how we are actually being perceived by the audience!

We gotta fake it ‘til we make it, baby! And I’m willing to bet my finest pair of glitter-covered stilettos* that getting dolled up sure does help.

*Note: The author does not actually own stilettos, glitter-covered or otherwise. She does, however, own one rocking pair of Cabaret Boots. 

 Jenny Wynter is a comedian and cabaret performer, whose award winning one-woman show An Unexpected Variety Show is appearing as part of the 2012 Adelaide Fringe Festival and the 2012 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

She is one of the 16 participants in the 2012 Australian Cabaret Summer School, which is currently being held at Walford. Jenny is blogging her experience on Cabaret Confessional throughout the week.

Jenny Wynter’s Australian Cabaret Summer School blog series:

Australian Cabaret Summer School: Meet and Greet & Day 1

Australian Cabaret Summer School: Day 2 and All That Jazz

Australian Cabaret Summer School: Day 3 - A Breakthrough  

Australian Cabaret Summer School: Day 4 - Insecurities

Australian Cabaret Summer School: Day 5 - An Epiphany

Australian Cabaret Summer School: The Final Frontier

For more information on Australian Cabaret Summer School click here.  

For Cabaret Summer School Showcase info and tickets, click here.

Jenny Wynter’s official website: www.comicmummy.com

Jenny is touring her award-winning An Unexpected Variety Show to the 2012 Adelaide Fringe and the 2012 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Click here to book tickets to the 2012 Adelaide Fringe.

Click here to book tickets to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

*Calling all Adelaide Fringe 2012 cabaret performers! If you are interested in having your Fringe show featured on Cabaret Confessional, click here for more information.

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