01.10.2007 07:19 - Living-room Theatre
An unexpected phone-call on Saturday lead to me, Steve Calcott and Olga Putin being invited to play at the Open Mic night at "Köln's Erster Wohnzimmer Theater " (Cologne's first living-room theatre), presented by The Incredible Heinz. A definite plus arrived with Mandy Krahl, one of the other performers, who was being followed by a WDR camera crew for a documentary on starting stand-up. Mandy was making her very first stage appearence - which is nerve-wracking enough without a documentary crew. The WDR camera crew filmed everything - most of the acts, and a lot of the preparation, which was a bit irritating. The last thing you really need when you're editing your act together for your eight-minute spot is a camera being poked under your nose.
About two years ago I saw something similar at "The Offene Wünde", where a comedian taking her first steps was filmed by WDR as she died on her arse. That wasn't particularly nice, but Mandy had been taking stand-up lessons from Ramona Schukraft, who is well-known on the German comedy scene, and so was considerably better prepared.
Steve Calcott went on second, after Richard Otten (I think) who sat and read something about the planet "Flop". I didn't understand it all, I'm afraid. I went on after Enno Engel, who was also more cabaret-oriented. I didn't see much of Mandy's act, as I was in the dressing room talking to Michael Schönen, but you could hear the laughter.
My set also went very well, as did Steve C's. Olga also did very well. It was nice being congratulated by people such as Ramona and Ping Piepenbring on doing a good set.
Video to be added later, when I get round to it.
