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the continuing past

5/14/2017

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Picturerecycle, relive, renew, rejoice
...and today, the day after the first sharing of the revived

(clear! bbp clear! bbp clear! bbp)

1999 show: Topless, I had hoped to do some cleaning and clearing of tasks and objects which work and rehearsals had made it impossible to find time for for these last four weeks.

I didn't get as much done as I hoped  - but I did make a start on shredding some accounts I discovered from 2000 - the year after the show originally opened. I recycle paper and there were receipts fastened to printed drafts of press releases for Topless Mark 1.

What can I tell you about last night?
They came and they laughed and after the show, they shared their stories of heartbreak fresh or remembered. The joke about the cost of therapy was one of the loudest of the night. Again I had a belief confirmed:  how much humans need to hear and tell their stories.

Twenty years ago I cut my comedy teeth on this show. I was determined that my story of surgery, heartbreak and high anxiety be watchable, endurable, that people's lungs could enjoy the bounce-back of hearty laughter (my mum was a loud laugher - see previous post).

In 1999 and 2000, I learnt so much in the performing of it (in London, Edinburgh, Greece and Australia). 
I was delighted that last night the house was packed and the show was getting the solid laughter it got the first time around (I was also interested to observe how I was now better placed to be with the darker moments as well.)

One audience member came up to say she was thrilled to see that in my story I showed that it was possible to come out the other end of heartbreak with a new resolve. People kept saying  'we need funny now more than ever'.

Another wag said: 'other people's pain is so entertaining'.

Comedy = Truth + Pain - thank you again, Jon Vorhaus.

Next outing for Topless is June 7 at Hackney Attic. 

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    Scroll below the brief biog + click to topics in previous posts​​.

     ​​Author Biog: Lily has been performing and making work for herself and others for many years. Her training was with Jacques Lecoq, Philippe Gaulier, Monika Pagneux, Theatre du Mouvement, Yoshi Oida, Carlo Boso (Commedia dell' Arte), Sankai Juku and Mike Alfreds (Theatre Direction). 

    She pioneers a unique body of practical research in Dark Clown. Her paper The Comedy of Terrors - Dark Clown & Enforced Performance was delivered at Bath Spa University. The work is mentioned in Clown - a reader in theatre practice by Jon Davison, Palgrave MacMillan. 

    Lily is also a director, playwright, script doctor and Creative Mentor.

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