I've got my songs. Check! Catherine advised me not to use all Bond songs, as they are a bit over-exposed. So I'm using just the one - "You Only Live Twice" and that's my finale.
I'm using the Brazilian song "Photograph" to paint a picture of the romantic and exciting life I once enviseaged for myself.
And I needed a song for the part of the story where I knock myself out in the swimming pool. I knew there was one that would be perfect - what was it? Aha! "Windmills of Your Mind" by Michel Legrand. "Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel, never ending or beginning on an endless spinning reel..." I've decided to learn the song overnight - it's got a lot of words, but I'll be fine.
I've got my patter. Check! I know how I'm going to introduce each song. It's all coming together.
But interestingly, some of the singers and actors are feeling quite anxious about speaking on stage. There are no lines to learn and no characters to play. We have to be ourselves on stage, and that is causing them some angst.
I'm amongst the weaker singers, but here's where I have a strength. I'm used to speaking on stage. I offer a few tips.
During the morning we work on our pieces, then Paul Boylen from La Boheme (and founder of the Cabaret Fringe Festival) arrives to talk to us about music festivals and venue hire. Paul mentions a new format that they are launching during the Cabaret Fringe Festival in June. It's called Kabarett, and will be a one-hour show shared by 3-4 performers. It will be a stepping stone between the ten-minute sets we'll be performing on Sunday night and a full-length (one-hour) solo show.
La Boheme co-owners Catherine Campbell and Paul Boylen
After lunch it is rehearsal time. Most of the shows are far from finished. It's all a bit sketchy, but everyone manages to present something.
It's my turn and I launch into my James Bond impersonation, swinging my imaginary gun with abandon, while Matthew at the piano plays the classic Bond theme. "Photograph" goes well, and they laugh as I tell the story of hitting my head. Then I start "Windmills of Your Mind". After the first two lines I draw a blank. My mind really is spinning - and not in a good way. Matthew keeps on playing but I can't latch onto any of the lyrics. The song goes on and I'm not singing any of it. Eventually he takes pity on me, we go back and he prompts me. But I've been thrown and my confidence has been shredded. I can't remember a word. We move onto "You Only Live Twice" - the only song of the three that I've performed in public. Thankfully I finish well.
Matthew recommends that we scrap one of the verses of "Windmills" - it's a long song and I'll have a better chance of remembering the words. It's a salutary experience, and from then on, I'm careful not to be over-ambitious with new songs. I make sure I have plenty of time to learn the lyrics - it's better to learn a bit every day than to try cramming all the words overnight. If it's a big song I'll perform an abridged version of it to build up confidence.
The week is over, and we will next meet on Sunday evening at The Promethean theatre, where our ten-minute solo segments will be unveiled.
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