Stage Death
Oh yes, there are so many excrutiating ways to die on stage. I did a version of Titus Andronicus, goth horror from a youthful Shakespeare that's got about 30 or so characters who cop it i think. I got mine after having to eat a human pie, stabbing somebody and getting the knife turned into my own back. All a bit risky, brandishing these vaguely blunted down ikea knives - There was one night when Chris, whose dedication to realism was admirable, actually drew blood as he ran the blade up my spine.
The kind of pain which is nothing in comparison with watching a comedian die on stage (obviously not the Tommy Cooper kind of stage death).
Last night I went along to the very fine Comedy Kav night in Moseley which is back after a few years break. With a solo show coming up down in London it was pretty reassuring to think that i couldn't really be any worse than this. Not that my show is in any way comedy. That expectation is what is so painful - 'You have to make me laugh otherwise it's shit'. I find myself hiding behind anything I can so as not to catch the eye of the performer, i feel so embarrassed for them.
After that long a break, the Kav audience seems to have got more balls. There used to be a time when a crap act was just politely ignored. Conversations would start up, the comedian becoming nothing more than background noise. But heckling seems to have made its way into the room and there was a real buzz to the room as acts started to get ripped apart.
Fingers crossed it doesn't feel so embarrasing for Midland Aquaphiliacs in a few weeks time. There's a few gags, there's a bit of audience participation, but with any luck nobody will be witnessing any stage deaths...