Those Who Can't Act...

The old adage goes: "those who can, do; those who can't, teach; those who can't teach, teach teachers..." How about those who can't act? "Can't" might mean without any talent or it might mean talented but prevented by circumstances from displaying that talent. Whatever . . .  My situation at present is that I can't act - either because I'm a hopeless actor and all potential casting directors are aware of that fact, or because the roles are not available and / or directors are unaware of my existence and my incredible ability to move audiences to tears, to laughter or to the exit.

But if I can't act, I can get involved in other ways. I'm currently trying to put on a production of Loss, an updated evening of the one-man plays (this time including one woman) at a fringe theatre somewhere in London next year. There are two major and several minor hurdles to overcome before this becomes reality - most importantly, raising funding of about £7,500 and finding a theatre to host the three-week run. Naively, I thought that several theatres would be happy to host such an event, until reality kicked in that they have not just an income but a reputation to maintain - and letting just anyone come in and put on a show isn't necessarily the best way of building and keeping a regular audience.

So, after several weeks of contacting theatre managers and the like, I am no further forward in my goal. It's true that one prime venue hasn't turned us down and another, slightly off the beaten track, is willing to talk, but  the hard reality is that an evening of one-(wo)man shows - especially under the title Loss isn't the most exciting of draws.

My job is to convince them - and not only them, but the general public, to support this event. We're planning to crowd-fund it - £10 will guarantee you a seat; £15 will guarantee you a seat and a glass of champagne; £20+ will guarantee you seat, champagne and a share of any profits. Not a bad bargain, we think, but you might need persuading. So, maybe we'll change the title, talk up the stories and the cast, promise you an evening of laughter and tears, to bring you, the curious punter, in. You never know, you might enjoy yourselves... More details anon.