'Are you drying your nails, or waving goodbye?' Tom Waits

I performed four poems at Scratch That, Hackney on May 5th, and they very kindly emailed me the audience feedback:

JEU JEU LA FOILLE

• The writing is very beautiful. Wandering what the connection to Tom Waits is? What is the story attached to the words. Dreaming around your poetry.
• Great job. Would work well if someone acted this out and Jeu Jeu narrated? Good luck in Edinburgh! :)
• I felt a bit on edge until just before your final piece - you introduced yourself. The audience seemed to relax. Can you do that earlier? Then we know who you are. Before we connected to you personally, your persona seemed a bit harsh/inaccessible. You are charming though. Let us into that!
• I struggled with it, to be honest. The premise itself is a strain when Tom Waits is so raw and unconstrained. The rhyming was at times a bit basic. 
• For those who are maybe not as aware of Tom Waits, a bridge between yours and his worlds would be a good reference. Enjoyed hearing the inspiration at the end. 
• Women’s perspective very well told. But as someone not that acquainted with Tom Waits I felt a bit left out of the loop. Keep going, though, you’re very compelling!
• Just needed a little bit of set-up at the top to get us on board. 
• Would have liked to see a bit more humour within it.
• I think your nerves maybe got in the way of delivery. Felt you could let more of your personality shine through.
• Chilling piece about the girl who “got away”. Very real and moving. I love Tom Waits! Really interested to see where this show goes… will there be music?

I am very grateful to the audience for this feedback, I agree, I need more of a set up, and I could relax a bit more! It's only the second time I've read my work out loud for an audience, and the first time sober and planned - so it's a good start!

I've been back in the rehearsal room this week, working within the very tiny stage dimensions I will have in Edinburgh, and trying to finalise the last of the writing. I had a very basic run-through, and the overall impression was that it felt very dreamlike.

I had several pieces of writing that I'd started while in Berlin, either as part of the course, or inspired by my wanderings, and I've been developing these to be used as part of the show. One of these is a fairytale about a lamppost - I became quite obsessed with the lampposts while in Berlin, and on one of the 'drifts' that we were asked to do at night and with a partner, my friend Kate and I ended up at the lamppost museum in Tiergarten, and we improvised some poetry for the lampposts.

My first preview for the show is May 23rd at The Canal Cafe Theatre in London. I hope to get the whole piece as it stands filmed, and get some more feedback from the audience. It's so difficult working without a director, so every little comment helps. And now back to the writing....