Cartoon de Salvo: who beat up Jimmy Jazz?
Tuesday, May 13th, 2008The touring part of this engagement is drawing to a close now, temporarily. After tonight’s show in Brighton, we’ll face the different challenge of performing a new show every night in the same venue, as we start a three-and-a-half week run at the Lyric Hammersmith. It got me wondering how much of our material has so far been subconsciously generated by the nature of being on the road, and the different spaces we’ve been in from one gig to the next.
Obviously, all touring shows differ slightly from place to place, but in a more subtle way. In those instances, the performers usually have some idea of what constitutes their best possible show, and try to read the audience and venue accordingly, searching for idiosyncrasies that may be useful or may prove a hindrance. At least that is what I think good actors do, the ones most in tune with the live element of theatre.
But this all goes on hidden away behind-the-scenes in most productions. In ours, the audience get to immediately affect us with their title suggestions. Two shows ago we had an unusually high proportion of what were instantly workable and intriguing titles (in Uckfield, Sussex – well done you!). But we couldn’t resist the fascinating suggestion ‘Who Beat Up Jimmy Jazz?’, enthusiastically shouted from near the back. This title had everything: inherent dramatic events, mystery and a brilliant character name. A great springboard.
Following the show (a misty New York gangster drama), we got chatting to the lady behind the title, and asked how she had such a specific phrase to hand. There followed a sad tale about a recent, real incident at her son’s university, involving a friend with the nickname Jimmy Jazz. (I wish I’d had a nickname like that). Apparently the show title she had given us was also that of her son’s band’s new EP. I hope – even if it’s a small consolation for his time in hospital – that Jimmy Jazz’s real-life misfortune is a little mollified by his subsequent fame.
