Gumball Theatre: the official launch debrief (that’s NOT brief)

At the After-Party: me with the always-fabooshy fairy Mary and hubby Fritz!

Forgive me for taking a few days to recover from the insanity that was the lead-up to and happening of the Gumball Theatre launch.

Phew!

Seriously, at some point there it hit me that the only time I’ve put more effort into something was my wedding.

However the one thing about my wedding that disappointed, was how because I’d spent so much time, thought and effort on planning the whole shebang, when it came to actually experiencing the day, my managerial mind kind ruined it. You know, the part of your brain that’s interrupting your wedding with commentary like “We’re running behind!” and “Can everybody actually hear the music over these crashing waves?” and “Oh dear heavens, why is there an 80 year old man wearing Speedos walking through our wedding?” True story.

Anyhoo, point is, because I’d been so focused on managing the day, I fell dismally short of experiencing it.

So I was perhaps understandably concerned that I might meet a similar fate come this launch. i.e. that I’d be so consumed with the logistics that I wouldn’t actually enjoy it. Which you know, wouldn’t be the end of the world, except that where improvised comedy is concerned, if you’re not enjoying yourself onstage, then chances are, nobody else is either.

Enter a conversation with my 6-year-old.

“Mum?” he said, eyeing off the golden gumball machine we’d painted up for the show. “Can I have that?”

“Sorry honey,” I said. “That’s for Gumball Theatre.”

“Awwwww! But I want it. It’s awesome!”

“Sorry mate. We need it.”

“When you’ve finished the show can I have it?”

“We need it for all our other shows too, buddy.”

“Awwww,” he said. “When you’ve quit Gumball Theatre can I have it?”

“I’m never quitting Gumball Theatre.”

“Never?” he said.

“Never,” I said.

“You mean it will still be going when you’re an old lady?”

“Yep.”

“It will still be going when you’re dead?”

“I hope so!”

“Awwwwww.”

A pause. Then: “Can you make me another one then?”

I wish I could really communicate what that chat did to me. I’ll try.

Up to that point I’d been putting a ton of pressure on myself for the launch to be, well, you know, the BEST THING EVER. But after this conversation with my pint-sized Mister Miyagi, I realised something I hadn’t known before: just how committed I am to this in the long-term. I guess what I realised is that my vision for Gumball Theatre is a marathon, not a sprint.

Meaning that we’ve got a lot of time to build the company and the shows up to what we want them to be – the launch was exciting, absolutely, and I hoped it would rock, naturally, but was it the be all and end all in terms of marking our chances of success? Nup!

With the pressure off, I made up my mind just to focus on what I could control on the night: having fun.

And HOW.

Wow oh wow.

We had a beautiful, buzzy and up-for-it crowd and we had a blast. It was such a fun, silly, playful show – cream pies and all – followed by a rocking time hanging out at the after-party up the road. We got many awesome comments from folks in the audience, including many of the “we’re SO coming to the next one!” variety. So all in all, rock.

LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We already have pages of notes of stuff we want to make better for next time, but for our first show, I was completely and utterly stoked. (Seriously. It’s now four days later and I’m still on a high.)

I shall post proper show pics soon – and some video! Our official launch photographer is getting her stash sorted out and I will post more here the moment I get them in my hot little hands.

In the meantime, thanks for listening to me rabbit on about all things Gumball. This truly is a momentous chapter in my life, I know it already. I’m so completely and utterly pumped. Not just about the launch, but about the future.

Now excuse me while I brace my glutes for this long distance thang.

Dawg.

xxx

Portrait of a marriage: Chalk and Cheese

This pic’s for my hubby.

He’s a total chess fanatic you see. Add to this his incredible passions for theology, history and as of a coupla weeks ago, geology and well…sometimes we feel like we’re from completely different planets.

I was chatting to a very dear friend about this the other day, specifically, about how because we met so young (I was 18 when I first stalked my way into his life met him), my hubby and I have now seemingly grown into very different people.

And…I’ll be honest. There are times when this worries me. There are times when this worries him.

But seeing as we’ve got quite a lot riding on this marriage thing – aside from which I really believe that at the end of my life, if I’m still sharing a bed-pan with married to the same dude and neither of us has yet actually followed through on the occasional impulse to maim, then you know…at least something’s been successful.

But…in the grand tradition of chess, we are in need of some strategy.

So far we’ve resolved to:

a) focus on the stuff we DO have in common. Digging photography. Planning some volunteer trips with the kids. THE KIDS.

b) look at the positives. Bear in mind this is not one of those “oh but when you’re so different you’ve got so much more to talk about!” situations. I cannot for the life of me feign an interest in igneous rocks. And I have tried. But you know, I guess us being different means that we’ve got…um…other stuff to talk to other people about? Hmmm. Still working on that one…

c) try to consciously invite each other into our worlds. Case in point: Gumball Theatre. Rather than relegate the hubbster to child-minding duty during all things Gumball related, we’re committed to finding childcare elsewhere so that he is absolutely part of the whole shebang.

But you know, sometimes it really is damn hard.

How bout you? Any experiences – romantic or otherwise – with peeps you have very little in common with, that you care to share?

Links of the Week (or WHAT? You mean there’s more to cyberspace than ME?!??!!)

So…I’m a little self-promoted out at the moment. Thus let me turn your attention elsewhere!

But only for a moment.

You don’t want me shrivelling up in the corner, do you?

1. Just another amazeballs craft project I’m highly unlikely to ever actually do. But damn it looks cool.

2. Another very cool interview from the fab Do What You Love blog, featuring gorgeous woman and artist Juliette Crane. I first met her via the e-course I did earlier this year and we occasionally chat online. LOVE her stuff!

3. Perhaps a virtual assistant is in order?

4. I love Rachel Hills. There, I said it. For many reasons, not least of which is posts like this.

5. An interview with myself. By myself. You see? Avoiding self-promotion is a ticking timebomb over here, people!!!

*Image courtesy of kowitz

The Top 5 Things I Would Love Right About Now

Mummy.....................................MUMMY?!

Please forgive me for falling off the planet of late. I can assure you it’s not for want of writing, I miss blogging regularly much more than I’m sure you miss me blogging! But life round here has been completely nuts, with pretty much every waking minute being taken up with Gumball Theatre.

Oh and you know. I have kids and all that. (What are their names again?)

So yes, things at Comic Mummy HQ have been a little hectic.

Thus, I present to you the top 5 things I would LOVE right about now…

1. A housekeeper.

2. A housekeeper.

3. A housekeeper.

4. Dark chocolate.

5. A housekeeper.

You?

*Image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

The Story Behind Our Poster (or…”I have always depended on the kindness of cyber-strangers”)

My new hair! I'm not sure if my kids' shock was because of the hair or the fact that I was not burning dinner.

Man oh man I’m sorry I’ve been so damn busy of late and thus the blog – like the poor neglected little fourth child of the house that it is – has been designated the leftovers.

But I still love you little one! Oh yes I do! Coochy-coochy-coo! Here, have some sugar and we’ll call it even.

Anyway, I want to share with you the story behind our Gumball Theatre poster (below).

There we were, Team Gumball, trying to come up with a poster image, when all of a sudden I get a message in my inbox. Rebecca from A Green Cow had seen the sneak peek publicity photos I’d popped up, and not even half an hour later had whipped up her own special brand of magic and sent this through!

We were all completely gobsmacked – given that I haven’t even met Bec in real life yet (though we’ve chatted enough to feel like we have) – this generosity and general display of awesomeness just added such a magical touch to the whole Gumball Theatre thing. Because what I know for sure, is that whether it shines gloriously or fails gloriously, this will be a chapter of my life worth remembering.

Love it. Thanks so much Bec. xx

P.S. Rehearsals for the launch are going full-steam ahead and I’m so stoked with how it’s all coming along. The last two in particular have had my stomach hurting at the end – and not because they’ve punched me. Laughing my butt off and falling in love with improv all over again – a good sign, methinks!

P.P.S The very awesome folk at Frank Team have profiled me in their latest issue of the e-mag Ignite! YAY for my ego!

Today Would Have Been My Mum’s 60th

Making cookies 1983-ish. She passed away in 1984.

Right now, were she here, I’ve no doubts at all that there would be celebrations a-plenty, much of which would revolve around music.

But you know. She’s not. And we’re not.

So instead, on this day, I want to just think of her and smile. You know? Be happy. Remember the good times. Yet if I’m being completely honest, it seems ridiculous to even try. I mean, how can you not tarnish even the most wonderful memories when the lens you’re looking at them through is made of grief?

But still. I try. Not for my sake, mind, but for hers. And the only reason I can even say that is because now that I’m a mother myself, I know that if I were – heaven forbid – not around to see my kids grow up, that would totally be what I would want for them.

To be able to remember me, for sure. But most importantly, to think of me and really, truly, deeply…smile.

Publicity photos for Gumball Theatre – sneak peak!

My oh my, it’s been one huge weekend.

I’ve been in rehearsals since Friday night with my fellow mainstage Gumball Theatre castmates Marc and Greg – they came and stayed the entire weekend so we could improvise our buttocks off, hang out and play handball with various assortments of my children.

And…we now have publicity pics! These are hot off the press (or more accurately, off the memory stick) so thought I’d give you guys the first sneak peek! Whaddya think?

How To Get What You Want and Other Lessons from an 8-year-old

Cooking with Comic Mummy

Creativity Carnival, The Courier Mail and other tid-bits

A bit more of my Halloween costume. I think I was a pirate Mummy.

Huzzah!

My innards are back in their proper place and thus able to just get that little bit fluttery excited to celebrate my inclusion in Musehunting’s Creativity Carnival. Go check it out, it’s suitably spiffy.

I’ve been asked to MC tonight at Albion Comedy Club – apparently it’s sold out so I’m really only mentioning it on here to share, rather than induce ticket-selling riots. But there you go.

In other news, had an interview this week with a lovely lady from The Courier Mail about the upcoming launch of my improv company Gumball Theatre. We spoke for over an hour, compared nerve damage injury stories and chatted all things comedy, improv and combinations thereof. Twas lovely. Will keep you posted once the article is published!

Also have some cool tid-bits in store as the launch gets closer (it’s Friday November 26th – you can find deets over here) so you know. Hats. Hold em. And all that.

Have a stupefyingly lovely weekend. xxx