Another painful show today, maybe 13 people in, I deliberately didn’t flyer as I wanted audiences who wanted to see the show, and I left comments slips on everyone’s seat explaining it was experimental then (at the end) implored them to give feedback, not donations.

The omens were bad from the start, my shoelace snapped seconds before the show, then my back went into spasm and continued for the duration. The audience in this one looked bored, really bored, I got a handful of laughs, no applause at all, and lots of sighs. A very painful show in more ways than one.

But… I got feedback, very honest feedback from my audience and that was invaluable. So here it is; shMOZle a summary.

Verbal one: “nice idea but we don’t get to know who you are, who is Moz, it’s overlong and ShMOZle is distracting. We want to know about you, not shMOZle. Some funny sketches but ruined by the interaction. Couldn’t understand why the need for voice-over in Flight Attendant but thought Happy Shopper worked well. Other sketches ruined by the double-act interaction”.

Slip one: “liked the voice-over idea but came across as too scripted and voice-over became irritating. Drunk English Stereotype (Cultured Man) was amusing. Why Moz & ShMOZle as names?”

Slip two: “was a good idea, maybe let people stroke your head for luck (heart). Love the name shMOZle.”

I think I’m in there. This was from a group of lovely ladies too. Yum.

Slip three: “funny bits, loved ‘woo’ and the ‘shirt’. Get rid of Shmozle”.

Verbal two: “really nice idea, well rehearsed but it’s too much, too long, voice-over kills the sketches”.

And you know I agree with them all. I’ve created a car-crash. I arrogantly thought I’d nailed the narrative, I knew my sketches worked well (late at night), but as a fusion it’s terrible. I take that one excellent show as a blip. Some people brush off bad shows, I’m brushing off the good one. I found an audience who got it, but this show is too niche. Even I find it painful to perform, and am seriously thinking of re-writing it as I can’t put myself through ten more days of pain and humiliation. I think I had a reviewer in too. Shit!

More learning. I need to give the audience what “they” want not what “I” want. They are the punters, not me. I really felt sorry for them today.

Mxxx