Today’s the day! Why do I do this?!?
Added 2020-04-16 23:18:20 +0000 UTC(The picture above is a screenshot I took of a nice Instagram post from when I was doing Savage at the Soho Theatre in London in January)
Savage is coming out today! I asked Zoe Coombs Marr, and she said hers (the brilliant Bossy Bottom) went up about 10am AEST on her due date, so I have about an hour and ten minutes (at the time of starting to write this) before it’s in the world.
I’m trying to calm and equanimise (not a word) myself for whatever happens. Which is sort of impossible. Like my friend’s dad who’s a prepper, and when the bushfires came, had a shed full of petrol. He was okay, but the point was... I don’t know what the point is, and it’s close to impossible to brace for an emotional wavefront anyway. You just sort of have to have a sense of your center of balance to come back to.
Some people will like it, some people won’t.
The point is, I can’t prepare for the thing that I absolutely know is coming.
I don’t like the idea of people reviewing Savage.
Despite the fact that I have LITERALLY invited review. No, let’s be more honest. I don’t mind if they get it. But I can’t help but feel like it’s presumptuous for people to have pipe-tapping beard-stroking smug opinions on how I choose to articulate my relationship with my mum. “Nice eulogy, but...”, “is it really comedy?” I want to scream fuck OFF. Or (more shamefully honestly), give it five stars and fuck off. Because of course I want people to see it, and it’s also art, and has to be taken (judged?), weighed, experienced as art.
Standup is so personal, all reviews can feel like a referendum on your value as a person.
Of course, I know - a lot of the feedback I’m going to get is not personal... most people don’t think about artists as people, really. Most people want to take a piece of art and fit it into a landscape. They want to be able to say;
“What’s it like, though? What can I compare it to? Is it better or worse than Gadsby?* What are the politics of approving/disapproving? What does it say about me to say whatever I’m saying about it.”
Of course you’re asking for it, when you put your work out there. I’m asking for it, by wanting people to see it.
I wasn’t sure if I should put this particular thing out on a wider platform like this or not, partly because it is too close to me. Partly because I did it with the Trilogy podcast. Partly because it’s early work of mine (2014/2015). I’m a better comedic craftswoman now. Partly because it’s my heart on a plate. And of course that’s why I decided to do it anyway. Because it’s my heart on a plate.
Come, here’s my heart on a plate. Have at it.
Xx
A
*neither
Comments
I watched it yesterday. Thank you so much for sharing your mother and the pain of her loss. You're probably aware of the Jewish words of comfort: "May her memory be a blessing." Clearly, her memory is a blessing to you, as you've taken those memories to craft a great work of art. Congratulations!
2020-04-19 14:56:56 +0000 UTCThankyou!
2020-04-18 10:59:30 +0000 UTCThankyou so much!
2020-04-18 10:59:12 +0000 UTCI watched it with my wife (she's the one who recently sent you a lettuce!) yesterday and it was so f***ing good! We laughed and we cried. It's a razor-smart mix of profound and silly. I am in totally awe of you!
2020-04-18 08:05:30 +0000 UTCI watched this last night. I don’t know how but even whilst it was recorded in a big venue, and I was watching it back on a tiny screen, I felt a sense of it being an intimate show i.e. Wild Oats bar intimate (only time I’ve been fortunate enough to see you live) I suspect this was because I was drawn into the performance........ I found it really engaging and thought provoking. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2020-04-18 05:41:37 +0000 UTCThankyou!
2020-04-17 21:18:13 +0000 UTCThankyou Tim! The best kind of review
2020-04-17 21:18:03 +0000 UTCThankyou!
2020-04-17 21:17:30 +0000 UTCAlice, I just watched it on Amazon Prime. Good God (pun intended) you are so talented and gifted! And f#*k Dick!!! Thank you for this. Your stories and insights are oh so powerful. The ending... OMG the ending! You are your mother’s daughter. That is for sure! 👍🏻❤️
2020-04-17 20:44:36 +0000 UTCAm downloading it to my tablet to deal with current bandwidth issues after it went all buffering about ten minutes in... but I've heard Savage in its Trilogy incarnation at least three times and the fact that I'm anticipating watching you perform it after at least three goes through in audio-only form ought to be some sort of a positive review, I hope :)
Tim Parsons
2020-04-17 15:32:37 +0000 UTCAlice, we resonate with you. We know how wonderful you are and hope that others will discover and derive joy from seeing you in Savage. Well done Amazing Alice. 💞
2020-04-17 11:35:44 +0000 UTCI want to say everything will be fine, but especially in comedy there are those who "get" you and those who don't. If they don't, then it's no reflection on whether your material is "good" or not - that's just how it is. As your devoted fans, of course we think you are brilliant, and shining a light of compassion without having to punch up, down or even sideways, though arrogant arses will always deserve whatever they get :-) For what it's worth, I think a lid has been lifted off a lot of selfish arseholery, which means your style & work may not be popular. But in my humble opinion your work and art becomes even more important, as a counterbalance against the arses. So let the reviews be what they will be. Don't sweat them. I'm sure there will be glowing ones, and rightly so, and just ignore the rest! Please keep doing what you do, as a glimmer of compassion and light in these dark times.
2020-04-17 08:53:04 +0000 UTCYou should enjoy the day whatever. Be proud of what you do and have done and celebrate those who share the joy (ignore those who don't). Congratulations on a series of great shows and thanks for your work during this crisis which is part of what is keeping me sane (and I doubt that I am the only one). Your 11:30 (here anyway) dose of calm is so very welcome.
2020-04-17 07:58:25 +0000 UTCWatched it, loved it! This must be a crazy weird day for you. Kia kaha from over the ditch.
2020-04-17 07:40:06 +0000 UTCIt was an excellent show when I was there at the recording. I expect it'll be even better with all that 'fix it in post' effort, apart from the songs which you couldn't keep.
Ian Nicholls
2020-04-17 06:48:30 +0000 UTC
