Playing friendly
The relationship between performer and audience is crucial to cabaret: the form is arguably defined by the lack of a fourth wall and the possibility of unplanned collaborations between those on the stage and those off it. Cabaret doesn’t have a monopoly on such things but it’s the only form where they can be taken for granted. That’s what gives it that special frisson.
Yet audience participation (or engagement or interaction or whatever we might call it) is also easy to screw up, and when it goes wrong, it risks confirming the prejudices of those who think such encounters are inherently cringeworthy. During this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, I’ve witnessed some wonderful examples of audience interaction – Reverend Billy’s choir hugging and thanking their congregation, Trygve Wakenshaw unleashing a random punter’s inner boxer-dancer – but also some that left me grinding my teeth in frustration.
Of course, all cabaret artistes will have their own ideas about how to work with audience members, and I wouldn’t presume to dictate what’s right or wrong. But from my experience watching hundreds of them at work, I’ve got a few suggestions for both performers and audience members…
TIPS FOR PERFORMERS
The performer is the leader of the collaboration and holds ultimate responsibility for any engagement between themselves and the audience. They are in the driving seat, they are the host of the party, they are the partner on top. It’s their duty to make any volunteer they beckon into the action feel sufficiently welcome and relaxed for the collaboration to take flight.
If the performer goes into the audience, punters can, within reason, take what they’re given: losing a sip of your drink here or receiving a risqué comment there is part of the price of entry; whether it’s cute or annoying is down to the charm of the act. But when it comes to actually bringing someone on stage, performers do well to maintain a basic level of respect – not because it’s a paying customer but because it’s another human being, and the more engaged and empowered they feel, the more likely it is that creative sparks will fly, to everyone’s benefit.
So here are nine ideas for performers to consider to promote smoother audience interaction:
1. Ask the audience member’s name – and remember it.
It’s just polite. The person you bring on stage automatically becomes a stand-in for the audience as a whole. Belittle them and by extension you belittle everyone who’s come to see you perform.
2. Have a reason to involve them.
Bringing punters on stage only to leave them loitering like warm props is embarrassing for everyone. But especially for you.
3. The reason should not be humiliation.
If the best you can do is make fun of someone in a vulnerable position, you need better material.
4. Give them clear instructions.
Assuming you do have a good reason, you need to be able to communicate quickly and practically what you want the volunteer to do, without leaving the rest of the audience hanging for too long. And remember, they might be nervous or flustered so keep it simple.
5. Leave space for them to contribute imaginatively…
In the best examples of audience engagement, the audience member’s creativity takes the show to a place the performer alone never would have imagined, making the whole night more memorable and empowering for all involved.
6. …but don’t make them feel bad if they don’t…
That said, you’re the performer: it’s your responsibility to deliver a good show entirely under your own steam if need be.
7. …and certainly don’t make them feel bad if they do.
To my mind, just about the worst thing a cabaret performer can do is drag an audience member on stage, invite them to express themselves and then jeer at the result. It’s basically a knife in the heart of all that is glorious about the form’s ability to promote creative communication.
8. Know when to tighten the reins or hit abort.
Some punters turn out to be show-offs or uncooperative or even aggressive. It’s your job to keep the act on track and, if necessary, cut things short before you lose the rest of the audience’s confidence.
9. Thank them and make sure they get a round of applause.
They didn’t come here to be on stage. If they’ve been a good sport, and especially if they’ve added something memorable to the night, give them the credit they deserve – and give the rest of the audience the chance to express their thanks to the volunteer for taking the bullet on their behalf.
There will be plenty of times when very good performers fly in the face of any or all of the above, with wondrous results – but they will be fully aware that they are doing so and will have specific reasons for it. Meow Meow’s act, for instance, is all about the dynamics of power, and it would be inappropriate for her to cede as much control to an audience member as, say, Dr Brown does. Dr Brown, meanwhile, does not generally speak, so asking for someone’s name would disrupt his persona to no particular benefit.
TIPS FOR AUDIENCE MEMBERS
Of course, collaboration works two ways. But the deal is much simpler for punters:
1. If you really don’t want to take part, stick to your guns.
You have the right to refuse to participate if you really don’t want to. Sure, many performers are reluctant to take no for an answer but if you make it clear that you aren’t game then any decent act will move on, if only to keep the wheels of the show turning.
2. Don’t be a dick.
You are the junior partner. Follow instructions, run with ideas if appropriate but don’t decide you know better than the performer how the show should go. You almost certainly don’t, and will probably waste everyone’s time. If things go badly, it won’t be on your head anyway.
In short: play friendly, have fun and embrace the unexpected. If you aren’t up for that, turn on the telly instead.
