CODI 2024
I managed to take in a fringe show this week about AI which was being performed as part of the Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Working full-time, it’s difficult to fit these things in during the week so I was glad I managed to get along.
The Cabaret is performing in a new venue this year so I was keen to visit and to receive my lanyard and pass which gives me as a performer, free access to the shows. Stand 5 is one of the Georgian Houses on York Place. You enter by the basement and leave by the ground floor. There is an audience waiting area with a bar and the venue I will be performing in is upstairs. I was delighted to see the iconic Stand Comedy Club image halfway up the stairs. There is no green room as such to hang out, though there is a large seated area which is also open to the public. From there, you exit by a small open terrace and then you leave through a very fancy seated lounge and bar area. Taken altogether it’s a big area, and I couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to stay in such a place given it’s size and location. I hate to think what the price tag would be though. We are talking lottery win here.
As I noted this is a new venue. As is typical with most fringes shows, it’s tightly packed with little room to move. The audience is right up against the small stage. This is scary but does have the advantage of being able to make eye contact with most if not all of the audience, so it’s important to stay focussed and ensure as a performer you look to all corners of the room while talking.
I have my script ready and will go through it a couple of times this week. I have worn the same bracelet on every CODI performance and will also have my clockwork pocket watch with me. I’m looking forward to it despite the nerves already kicking in as I write this. Good news is I’m not scrambling around looking for something to talk about. I have plenty of material and I feel good about the content. All I have to do now is write my ten main points on a slip of paper and keep it in my back pocket. I won’t use it, but it’s a comfort to know it’s there.
The Fiction Factory 