Author Archives: jennywynter
Adelaide Cabaret Tour Diary Part 2
No real reason to post these here, other than that they're ridiculously adorable. And they've greeted me each morning in the bathroom of my friend Jade's, where I've been staying!
Today we drove out to the Marion Cultural Centre – where, upon spotting the next-door aquatic centre complete with gigantic waterslides, I’ve already determined I’m going to be spending ample time with the kidlets during our upcoming month-long stay for the Fringe Festival – to perform more cabaret for a near-packed theatre of lovelies!
Warming up backstage.
Dolled up and ready for cabar-action!
The audience was delicious – in fact, I believe I might have even told them that; I suspect that the combination of being away from my kidlets and having a nice crowd can turn me into a bit of an overly affectionate mother hen!
Then it was off to Radio 5AA for a lovely chat with Amanda Blair, mother of four and all-round tour-de-force.
Last time we met (when I was in town for last year’s Cabaret Fringe Festival, Amanda tried to convince me to go for baby number four, to which I can only now respond that I have…with said offspring being An Unexpected Variety Show! If you care to, you can listen to the full interview – including me singing “The World’s Greatest Love Song” (an original song from my show) – here.
Tomorrow I am faced with a dilemma: seeing as I am proceeding directly from my final cabaret gig to the airplane back home…
DO I GET CHANGED OR DO I DARE WEAR A TUTU IN ECONOMY?
47 Gigs in One Month: The Adelaide Fringe Adventure Approaches
Working, performing and eating cheese. Pretty much sums up today.
AND…having a mild freak out upon going through my schedule for Adelaide Fringe Festival, which at the moment of me typing this, stands at 47 gigs in three and a bit weeks. FORTY-FREAKING-SEVEN. I think I’m gonna need some sort of protein supplement to get through this. Or at least somebody to hurl Gatorade down my throat at regular intervals.
You’re with me, right? I’ll blog the entire adventure if you’ll occasionally throw me a cyber-cheer when needed. Cos I’ve no doubt I’m gonna collapse in a heap on more than one occasion. But with a bit of requisite cheerleading, I can tell you I’ll bloody well cross that finish line one way or another…and I’ll strive to wear something utterly faboosh while I do.
That’s a promise.
x
Adelaide Cabaret Tour Diary Part 1
My friend Jade, all dressed up for last night's cabaret-ing, does bling like nobody I've ever met. I drool.
Adelaide is rapidly becoming my second home, indeed, to the point where Sidonie Henbest, host of last night’s Cabaret Live! introduced me to the stage by saying “I have a feeling she’s just moved here and neglected to tell her kids!”
I jumped off the plane – luckily I was wearing a chute – and was promptly whisked away to lunch at a pub which I proceeded to photograph the living daylights out of. Please indulge me? (Hmm, note to self: last sentence is a most rocking show title).
Lamps. Lamps. Luminous Lamps.
Not to go all American Beauty on you, but: Look Closer. This is a ceiling hanging/art installation thingamajig consisting of hundreds of bits of crystal individually hung. WHAAA? Yes.
I think I could easily collect these. If I could a) find them and b) be bothered.
I might just be a little bit obsessed with lights. Could this be why I've pursued a career in one? Hmmm. Dare I say it: lightbulb moment?! Boom boom! Ah, I kill me.
I am here for the week to do some guest spots in a tour of the “taking cabaret to the Adelaide suburbs” variety, thanks to Out of the Square. Being a non-native of these here parts, I have absolutely no idea where these suburbs are and what stereotypes I should be thrusting against them.
But going in blind can be a nice thing sometimes. I hope. We’ll see. Either way, I’m very excited to have an excuse four days in a row to dress up like the party ham I am. If Miss Piggy wore tutus and cowboy boots, she’d be me.
Onstage last night at Cabaret Live
The Kindness of Strangers (or “The WHY Of Performing/Writing/Show Pony-ing”)
Somebody sent me a snippet of their journal page after seeing the show at Melbourne Fringe. This made my freaking week!
I want to share with you a couple of encounters with strangers that have really rocked my world of late.
The first of these was at Woodford Folk Festival. There I was, popping my head in backstage at The Mystery Bus to double check what time my gig was that day. The greenroom was empty except for one woman. I smiled at her and said something like “Hey! I’m just looking for the schedule!”
She smiled back and pointed me towards it, then said “Hey, I just wanted to tell you I saw your show at the Powerhouse.”
“Oh!” I said.
“I hadn’t been out in ages, I just saw something about your show and decided ‘RIGHT! I’m going to see that!’ without knowing anything about it.”
She went on to tell me that the show had been really timely for her as her family had just experienced a major tragedy…she continued and as she spoke, we both got tears in our eyes.
I walked away from that moment feeling so emotional but within that spectrum of emotion was real happiness and indeed, joy: to have the show connecting with somebody I’ve never met, in a way that makes us feel like we’ve shared something real. Such a rocking moment.
The second two encounters happened via email; I won’t mention names or details here, they are certainly not my stories to share, but both were from people who have not seen my show at all, but one had connected with me via my blog and the other through cabaret.
Both people shared with me such deeply personal stories of loss in their family lives; I cried both times. I cannot even begin to express how moved I feel that complete strangers have honoured me by sharing their deep pain in that way. What a gift.
One finished their email to me with this: “Your openness to share stories prompts people to share back…I think this is your calling – to share to have people share back and heal.”
Wow.
Blown away. So timely too as I have been giving a lot of thought over the past six months to the “why” of what I do: blogging, performing, especially the stuff where I share pretty damn excruciatingly personal stuff…neither are for purely altruistic reasons – I’m as self-indulgent and narcissistic as they come – but I have really clarified that I do want to create work that’s more than just a nice way to pass the time.
I want it to connect. To make an impact. And, if I’m honest – and I won’t pretend this isn’t hugely affected by having been made painfully aware of the reality of death from a very early age in life – because I want to leave behind some sort of legacy. Even if it’s small. Even if that’s just in terms of having connected with somebody else in a way that stays with them longer than I do.
But hey, no pressure, right?! 
10 Publicity Tips for Artists
Moi, Carla Conlin & Shelley Dunstone going a little Vanity Fair-ish on location for a recent Cabaret Summer School promo shoot. Image by Naomi Jellicoe, The Advertiser
With Fringe season well upon us – which for me, equates to crazy self-promo season – I thought I’d pry my fingers away from my own shameless promo-ing duties and put them to work sharing some of the best publicity tips I’ve garnered over the years.
When it comes to pursuing your passion in life, as we were told in no vague terms at the recent Cabaret Summer School by Sidonie Henbest, “there’s no point in being brilliant in a bubble.”
I heartily concur. No matter how great your work, it ain’t gonna happen if people don’t know about it!
So, without further waffle, here are my 10 publicity tips for artists. Okay, hang on. Bit more waffle. Bear in mind these are:
a) assuming you already have some idea of how to draft up a media release. If you don’t, go get thee to google!
b) as the intro suggests, the best publicity tips I’VE garnered. Me. Moi. Yours truly. I’m not saying they’re the Bible, yo! Unless you wish to endow them as such. In which case, who does that make me? Oh yeah. Awesome. Totally do that.
1. Use Free Web Listings.
This is quite literally my first point of call when I do ANY show EVER. List your event on anything (relevant) you can. It’s free. It’s easy to find. A little time consuming, perhaps, to hunt down all the websites that might be appropriate. But once you’ve got the list for that city you’ve got it. Google things like “things to do in X” city: you’ll come up with a ton of starting points. Don’t hold back: they need events to fill their calendars so that they can provide that service to their customers!
2. Prepare Yourself For Operation Copy and Paste
Before you start uploading listings, sending out media releases and the rest, write your show details down in one document (I include in this document the basic show details, a small blurb, a longer blurb, the full media release) so that when you are ready to put the info out there, you’re not wasting precious time typing the same kinda details over and over: you can just copy and paste the relevant info.
3. Personalise Invitations
If you’re inviting somebody, be it a reviewer, a VIP, an industry person, a friend…where possible, I think you should actually invite THEM. I know for myself that when I’m on the receiving end of an invite, my interest radar fades rapidly when something reads like a bulk-send. Address people by name and if there’s a specific reason you want them to see your show, tell them.
4. Consider Using an Online Electronic Press Kit
A few months ago, I decided to give powerpresskits.com a go. At first I wasn’t sure why I would bother with this service, given that I already have a website with pictures galore, deets on my show, etc. however having already had some great feedback from a couple of journos I’m pretty well sold. I can send people the link directly to my kit, which has all the info on my show, looks super professional AND they can download the hi-res (i.e. printable) quality version of my photos, without me having to clog up their inbox.
5. FOLLOW UP.
Why is this in caps, you ask? Because if I had to give one promo tip to rule them all, this would be it. Send your stuff (and by stuff, I mean media releases) via email, sure. But once you have, give it a few days and then either email with a friendly note to see whether they’ve received it and/or call them. Let me tell you a secret: almost EVERY media success story I’ve had is the result of me chasing up an initial contact. Of course, don’t harass people; if I follow up once and then don’t hear back, I will usually let it go (unless they’ve explicitly said they’re interested and to get back to them with more info). But don’t just give up because you sent an email to a magazine and heard nothing back. They get a gazillion media pitches a day. It’s not personal.
6. Get a Virtual Assistant.
Once you’ve drafted your emails, media releases and/or other titillating blather, AND you have the lists of media people to send them to, consider hiring somebody to send them out for you. You can find people on sites like Elance for incredibly inexpensive rates to do the copy/paste/send combo so you are freed up to spend your time better elsewhere, doing the jobs that really only you can do.
7. Get Professional Photos.
Have them ready to go. Not snapshots, not iPhone shot, professional shots. Do not send these through to the media, however, unless the journalist requests it. (Note: this is another benefit of having an online EPK to refer them to, it’s all there without clogging up their inbox). But do write in your media release: ‘Hi-Res Images Available On Request’ or similar.
8. Join forces!
Are there other similar events/performers who, when you join together, can create a good story? Band together! If the Spice Girls taught us nothing else, it’s that there’s power in numbers.
Banding together in The Advertiser for The Cabaret Summer School. Picture by Naomi Jellicoe
9. Pay It Forward.
You’re trying to attract attention to your own shows, so why not extend somebody else the same love you’d like to get? Plug other people’s shows on your blog/site/facebook/twitter (note: make sure these are shows that you really do love; if you just promote everything you will more than likely damage any credibility you have!), become champions for others and take joy in other people’s successes. (Note: Rachel Hills wrote about this very idea this week here.) It’s a good feeling: don’t do it with an “I scratch your back now you scratch mine” attitude, but be generous with promoting others work who you genuinely admire, without any thought of pay-back. The arts world can be competitive, but only if you let it be that way for you. I think that celebrating others feels like a much better way to live!
10. Include Your Show Info!
This seems obvious, but I myself have been guilty of being so caught up in crafting a beautifully composed email that I have overlooked including this very key piece of information! It’s ESSENTIAL: include your show details in EVERY media release, correspondence, etc. that you send out! Format it simply, but don’t forget to add your show title, venue, dates, ticket prices and how to book, usually at the bottom of your page. I’ll do it here at the bottom of this post, both to illustrate the point and to flaunt my inner promo-slorry.
Happy publicising!
AN UNEXPECTED VARIETY SHOW
Adelaide Fringe Festival
THE LIGHT HOTEL – HIGH ROLLERS ROOM
141 Currie St, Adelaide
25-26 Feb 7pm FREE
28 Feb, 6, 13 Mar 7pm Cheap Tues $10
1-4, 8, 10-11, 15, 17 Mar 7pm $20 full, $15 conc
Tickets available here. Or phone 1300 FRINGE (374 643)
Our artsy attempt at a Family Purpose Statement
This vision you see before you is the result of a family bonding event gone this past weekend.
Let me start by being honest: things can get pretty nuts around here. I know this is true of pretty much every family household I know, so I’m certainly not pleading special circumstances, but just with the added factor of Mummy dearest to-ing and fro-ing all over the countryside for performances and such, well yes…I’m pleading special circumstances.
And with more performances coming up this year than ever before in our family’s history, I’ve recently realised more than ever how much we are in dire need of some help in:
a) making our time together really, REALLY TRULY count; and
b) getting more organised in terms of practicalities. (Oh dear HEAVENS when we can finally afford professional help with that I will consider that my moment of having “made it”. You have it in writing.)
So, I headed for the first place any approaching-overwhelm mother would in such circumstances: an all-you-can-drink buffet a helpful e-book. After seeing it plugged on another blog, I opted in for this one: One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler.
Thus far, I’ve checked off a couple of these projects, much to my delight (hello morning routine! Menu planning! IS THERE NOTHING I CANNOT CONQUER?!) and last night, the five of us gathered together to nut out one of these tasks as a family: crafting our Family Purpose Statement. A little cheesy? Sure. But those of you who know me well know how I love to embrace the dairy in life.
We each contributed ideas to the kind of family we want to be, even littlest (whose contribution of a Buzz Lightyear quote: “I come in peace!” was included on the grounds that:
a) we wanted everybody in the family to be a part of the statement; and
b) once we adapted it to “we”, it actually is rather cool indeed. WE COME IN PEACE, YO!
Then today, we set about emblazoning it in gold. Only that didn’t work out, so we opted for the next best thing: a mixed media collage.
It now has prime position in our kitchen. And I kinda love it. Now I finally have something to stare dreamily at when I find my happy place.
Note: I have already uttered the phrase today (that’s right, on DAY ZERO):
“Where does it say “hit each other!” on the family purpose statement? WHERE?!?!?!”
I am not proud.
And yet…I am.
“The Bum and I.”
This pic taken inside a funky West End cafe. If there's a connection between this image and this story, it's probably cos you made it.
I was reminded of a moment from my past today, upon reading this gorgeous post at Edenland.
I responded in the comments so thought I’d share the story with you.
I was living in Sydney and had just found out I was pregnant that week, completely out of the blue and in far from ideal circumstances. Broke. Single. Jobless. It had been a rollercoaster ride of a few days, calling my sister, my friends, my ex-fiance, counsellors, asking for advice, mulling it over, drowning in hormonal angst…then that Saturday, I did something that took me completely by surprise: I made the decision to have the baby.
I was walking down the street with my friend when this homeless guy sitting there asked for some spare change. I said “sorry mate,” but then stopped and went back to him. “I don’t have any money, but…do you smoke?”
“Yeah!” he said.
“Here.” I handed him my near-full packet of tobacco, rolling papers, filters and a lighter as he thanked me.
My friend piped in: “She’s just found out she’s pregnant.”
“Aw!” he said, smiling up at me. “CONGRATULATIONS!”
He was the first person to actually respond to the news in any positive manner whatsoever.
And I’ll never forget it.
A Peek Inside My Office If You Dare…
Where the magic happens. (If by "magic" you mean "endless facebooking."
I’d love to tell you that the reason I’m sharing this little tour of my home office is because I was simply inspired to do so by its sheer beauty, its gorgeousness and its wondrous ability to lift me up where I belong…but the truth is, I finally pulled my finger out today and shovelled about a gazillion bits of un-filed paper into other unknown crevices in an attempt to make it look at least semi-decent. And as Fiona O’Loughlin herself says, “there’s no point to doing anything without an audience”! So the moment I had mopped my brow from such complete and utter cleaning-exhaustion, I put finger to i-phone and documented the shizz out of it.
Because if I’m totally honest, heaven knows when or indeed if it will ever look this way again.
A few bits and pieces I'm reading right now.
I swear I didn’t line these up specifically to show you; they are quite truly what are on my desk at the mo. I’m about halfway through “Dear Fatty” which I’m enjoying very much and connecting with in more ways than one (see my previous post on this here).
My PRECIOUS.
This is my prize and joy (yes, that’s right, I said PRIZE!) I ripped the original poster off a pole in Saskatchewan, Canada, where I had spent the entire day driving across the state 7 months pregnant, with two small children in the back of the car, just to seize my once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the man himself live. When he walked out onstage, I almost wept. What a masterclass in comedy that was. I should write an entire post just on that gig. Note to self: add to to-do list.
The clutter corner! At least it's colourful.
My philosophy on interior design? If it’s gonna be messy, at least make it a mess of pretty things.
My magnetic noticeboard. I'm just proud that after months of having it sit on my floor, I finally pulled my finger out to hang it!
I originally bought this from Ikea thinking I would stack it with to-do lists (one of which is actually up there; if you look closely you’ll see my daughter has thoughtfully ticked off every time and then written DONE down the bottom, despite me having not even read through the thing since it was put up), but instead it’s just become a bit of a rotating arty board, filled with magnets from my travels, photos and works of awesome from my kidlets.
And I love it umpteen times more than even the most inspired to-do list in the world.
Why I am Particularly Stoked About This Year’s Oscar Nominees…
My director, mentor and friend, Gary Austin.
I was absolutely delighted to discover this evening that 5 (count em, FIVE) Oscar nominees this year are “Groundlings!” To the uninitiated, this is the affectionate – or so I am led to believe! – term given to alumni of The Groundlings Theatre in LA.
Why was I so chuffed at this turn of events, you ask?
Well because the man who founded The Groundlings Theatre was none other than the director of “An Unexpected Variety Show” as well as one of my favourite people in the entire world, Gary Austin. Thus I feel suitably entitled to get up on my little high horse and feel just a little bit attached to these particular folks of jawsome. GO GO GO! (You can read more about my time with Gary and friends in LA last year over here.)
The nominees are:
Melissa McCarthy – Best Supporting Actress – “Bridesmaids”
Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig – Screenplay – “Bridesmaids”
Nat Faxon and Jim Rash – Screenplay – “The Descendants”
Gary was quick to point out on his Facebook page that:
Not receiving a nomination but certainly deserving of one is long time Gary Austin Workshops alumnus Paul Feig – Director – “Bridesmaids.”
SQUEE!!!
I will be cracking out the big guns for this year’s Oscars, PLAINLY! You know…brushing my hair, eating the nicer brand of chocolate…I MAY even splash out on a $12 chardonnay. Somebody stop me!
Things To Do With Kids in Brisbane: Get Thee To The Abbey Museum!
My little girl in a low budget ad for stranger danger? WRONG, silly! We're at the Abbey Museum! Oh YOU!
Though my grandma always tells me not to tell people, lest I be suddenly the subject of some sort of medieval ages type prejudice from the sins of the forefathers, apparently our family is in possession of Viking blood.
Perhaps that – or just a fondness for headwear with horns – was behind my immediate compulsion to take the kids to the Abbey Museum when I saw their advertised “Family Fun Viking Week!” Yes! If nothing else is gonna make me feel like Mother of the Millennium, it’s blowing an ivory horn while wearing shiny stuff!
I decided to surprise the kids, not telling them where we were going, so as to spring the amazing awesome on them for maximum effect.
We turned into the museum.
“WHAT?” they groaned. “A museum?” Insert enough whining to make Mummy start staring at the array of blunt axes with a dangerous glint in her eye.
That is, until we walked into the actual museum itself, where shortly after being christened with their new names…
Rechristened for the day!
I took great pleasure in pronouncing this all day with a rolling "R"!
…the kids were handed weapons.
TURNING POINT.
Awww...Holger's first axe. Bless.
I love how he looks actually sliced in half in this one!
Suddenly, Mummy’s lame idea turned into the MOST. COMPLETELY. AWESOME. THING. EVER.
The Abbey Museum, as it turns out, makes a real effort to not just be a museum of the “come in and stare at shizz” variety, but of the “come and interact with things, do stuff, handle bits, dress up, make props, get into it!” kind that pint-sized (and not-so-pint-sized) tikes really do love.
For a day, they became knights. Archers. Shield makers. Archeologists.
Being instructed in the art of archaeology!
Sifting up a storm.
Receiving sage-like instruction from the local village wise man.
Sigrunn Hood
They don't mess around here. The kids take aim at an ACTUAL KNIGHT!
Even Mister 7 got into the beading: I proudly wear this necklace of lovely from my Viking offspring.
Painting their shields. I was overtaken by a desire to come up with a family crest.
And ultimately, they became Mummy fans.
As we drove away, I turned to Mister 7.
“See?” I said. “I told you you’d like it!”
“I didn’t like it,” he said.
“Huh?” I said.
“I LOVED it!”
This viking Mama was just a little bit chuffed.
*This is not a sponsored post. We simply rocked up and did it and loved it. Note that these activities were part of a special Family Fun Viking Week, for deets on what else is going on week to week at the Abbey Museum you’d be best to check their website. I do know they have a rocking Medieval Festival mid-year, preceded by a special one-day festival event focused on the kiddies which we will almost certainly be at!
