2024 has been one of great loss for me, I lost several friends in the first weeks of the year and attended more funerals in a calendar year than anyone should. After mum passed away I felt a sense of numbness come across me, everything and nothing really mattered after that, or at least, nothing that would normally get under my skin really bothered me. When you lose the person who gives you life, everything else seems insignificant. It has been 7 months and in that time I've been dealt some misfortune; being robbed in Japan of all places, had hiking plans of Mount Fuji cancelled due to a Tsunami and as frivolous as it sounds, I had to fight for 2 months to regain access to my IG & FB social media pages and accounts which held not only many bookings for both comedy and my Chauffeur business, but almost every contact, friends and colleagues I've ever made in the last 2 decades travelling as well as so many memories.
As far as anyone knew, I had deleted my accounts and shut down my business. I have no way of knowing how much I lost financially due to this period offline but thankfully it was resolved.
Any of those things would previously have caused me to have a major meltdown but I shrugged them off and got on with it.
I've felt the most zen I ever have this last 6 months, almost dead inside but in a less worrying way so seriously, no need to check in and ask me if I'm OK.
I had signed up to perform at the Melbourne Fringe in Oct a long while ago, it was to be my first time doing this festival since 2001 when 9/11 occurred one week before the play called 'F.A.T.A.L' I co-wrote and performed in (about terrorist$ with a b0mb in an airport took place! True story. (Read my previous blog)
FYI: I'm told I have to misspell certain words from now on in case they're flagged by AI bots. That's why my account was disabled last time apparently, the bots don't understand jokes and context. I digress. When it came to promoting my shows this fringe, would you believe, I awoke on September 11 to find out my accounts were disabled. I had lost my ability to reach pretty much my entire friends and followers without social media and I figured ticket sales would be a disaster. I shrugged it off. It is amazing how much we rely on these things in small business. I have a small mailing list and I've almost never sent an email to it, but now was the time to figure it out. I contacted media about my dilemma but many told me they thought I was joking for an angle! Sigh.
I performed 5 shows in 3 days and they were all well attended by mostly people I've never seen before. Where they came from I don't know, but maybe I ought have my social media deleted more often! It was pretty good numbers without hardly anyone I knew! I'm proud of this show that has now toured in 10 countries over 80 times. I put myself in an awkward situation this year by attending some networking events Melbourne Fringe hosted, meeting festival directors and industry peers. Speed dating for art if you will. Maybe it took being a little "who gives a sh*t anymore?" attitude to go along, but I'm glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and did. I met some wonderful people and was pleased to learn that several folk liked my work. On the final day of Melbourne Fringe a week after my shows were done, I was hosting a comedy pub crawl and I had just walked off stage after introducing my dear friend Bev Killick to the stage when my phone rang in my pocket. I ducked outside to answer it, the fringe office asked me if I'd seen my emails. I said no, I was hosting a gig for the last few hours. They said I'd been shortlisted for an award and would I mind coming down to the closing night at Trades Hall.
I have had lovely reviews over the years, sold out shows, standing ovations, plenty of runner ups and acknowledgments, and I've been lucky to perform all over the world, but with this show 'Eat, Pray, Walk' there's something different. It has touched hearts, people have cried, I have cried, it's not my funniest show but it's been the most important one I've done. The messages I get afterwards and the conversations and hugs are awkward but natural and mean the world to me and clearly it means something to others. I have reached a new audience with it, a TV network in the UK have shown interest in making it into a series after seeing the show in Edinburgh and I had a couple of nice awards in the USA last year. So to hear my name called out in my home city of Melbourne a few days after my birthday and collect the Market Ready Award presented by Regional Arts Victoria was an overwhelming thrill and rather emotional after the year that has been. It's only taken 2 decades of touring the world solo but I guess the industry thinks I'm market ready to tour now with help! I'll gladly take it. I was considering a year off the festivals in 2025, however not long after the festival I was invited to do a season co-produced at Gasworks Arts Park with an encore of this show at Melbourne International Comedy Festival next April.
Terry North & Sharon Louise have been wonderful managing my stress and causing me stress at the Elephant & Wheelbarrow (Bourke st, Melbourne) over the years, but I think it'll be great that they get a break from me in 2025! More importantly I'm excited to take this show to a theatre where it belongs.
If you've not seen it or know people who might like it, tickets are now on sale and for once I strongly suggest you book in advance. It might even make a nice Christmas gift idea. Feel free to sign up to my mailing list too. You never know when I might say something to upset a bot again!
Mum's lemon tree and life has given me plenty of lemons this year, time to make that lemonade and gin! This ones for you mum! ¡Buen Camino!
Comments