Ok... if you read the dates - you know Ive cheated and Ive only just updated whats happened today, but there is a reason! I am without my computer, and have been for sometime. Why? Because I have quite literally sold everything I own in order to move to London England. (If you've been reading the blog you knew this already!)
So here I am! Jon Keyes gave me his magic number, I used it coming through customs and here I am until September 1st, legally entitled to work in England as a comedian! Geoff Whiting of Mirthcontrol has been invaluable in securing work. I had picked up a closing spot in Guernsey (one of the channel Islands) with 48 hours of my brown bum making contact with European soil, then Jon hooked me up with a small show in Wimbledon - where I'm currently living and a couple of spots in Newquay & Torquay respectively (see the gig guide for details).
The goal is to earn £500 p/wk off performing stand up. If I can manage that, then any money Mareena makes can be put away for us for when we eventually return home.
All in all I am LOVING London. There is work to be had if you are willing to get out there and fight for it. I am in the position where I can only work as a comedian, therefore I must fight for it, because Im hungrier than most of the other antipodeans who've travelled this far. I don't have the luxury of going "Well.... I don't have enough money to pay my rent this week... I might get a bar job or some security work just to tide me over until the shows pick up again..."
It's illegal for me to do that on my visa and if I were caught doing that, I would get deported and NEVER be allowed back in the country again! Not in my future plan!!!! Thus - COMEDY is it! All I have, so I'd best do EVERYTHING I can to make it work.
I've met with a couple of comics (kiwi's) who have fallen into the trap of doing "open" gigs at no fee. I equate that to wanting to be a leading actor so you stat off doing "extra" work in the hopes you will be noticed. Hmmpff!
No director is ever going to notice an extra, as an extra you are little more than a meat puppet, a warm prop! As such I have declined entirely to do open spots and I'm not putting my hand up for anything less than £50 in London and less than £100 outside of London.
This seems to have paid off as I've been here almost 2 weeks, been booked for closing, opening, middle & MC spots and within my first 2 weeks will have generated £890.00 with further bookings confirmed all the way to November! A little more work on bookings and with any luck, I'll consistently be able to make my budget of £500 p/week