Reviews: they don't matter, unless they're good.
I opened it smugly over some ritual poached eggs and a freshly squeezed orange juice in a trendy Melbourne café. A couple of stars and a token half star. The prongs of the latter pointing out in an unseemly fashion, longing for its mate.
Words that stung. Performer friends consoled me for hours, 'normal' friends laughed it off and reminded me it was part and parcel.
Then the three emotional stages post bad-review:
One: confusion. The inner critic, starts asking pointed questions: ''So you thought you were funny? Ha, dick.”
Two: humiliation, give up, go back to the call centre. Get a pat on the back from Mum and Dad. “Good on you for giving it a go love…KPMG graduate scheme?”
Three: anger. Why are you out to destroy me? Surely another article on Angelina's leg would have been more interesting than this scathing appraisal. I have an average of six audience members, it costs £7.50 to see my show. Go and pick on Lord Webber or summit.
Then wise words from Meatloaf; “It's gonna hurt, it's gonna be painful, you're gonna get glory sometimes, but there's more pain than there is glory, be prepared for that”. Then from my director Alex Wright; 'reviews are good for selling shows, they aren't good for telling you if you're good at your job!'
Agreed. Finally, it is the audience and my connection to them on stage that counts. So, I dried my tears, had a wonderful show, drank a bottle of red wine and orchestrated a ceremonial burial and burning, with voodoo dolls, of the offending article. Now I'm completely over it and boast freely of my 'thick skin'. Who knew.
Damsel Sophie is an international comedy-cabaret-theatre artist and writer. Her shows 'The Damsel in Shining Armour' and 'HOT' are currently touring in Australia and return to the UK during 2012. For more details, click here HERE.
