Tidy Towns Australia

Here's a few of my favourite photos snapped by Chris Puccetti (Photographer and owner of Fudge'n'Good Coffee) on the night of the Tidy Towns Awards Feb 27th, which was held in my local town of Sheffield (winner of last years contest).

Having commandeered the family car, and my mother, to cart the extra props around the corner to the venue, we set up and organised ourselves on stage amidst jokes about the loudest screechy toilet door ever known!

I had a 20 minute slot in between announcements, speeches and not to mention the amazing three course meal provided, to play for a hundred and twenty odd people from all over Australia, as well as some of our involved locals.

The first half of my performance was as the "Puppet," a comical character from the little act I had designed for street play, but which is fast becoming a favourite for events like these that are after something engaging and different. I had great fun, in my masked state, with the jerking movements of the "Puppet" awakening, and enjoyed an improvised stare, head tilted rather creepily at the people sitting closest to the stage.

For the second half I "de-masked" and provided a little background information on the harp and how I came to learn it, with the attempt at a joke here and there. 

This is for me by far the hardest part of being on stage as at times it feels like you're trying to maintain a one sided yet cheery conversation with a pile of stones I cant even see due to the stage lights! But with the assistance of a set list with sentence prompts (trick of the trade) and with help from Chris, (another Chris!) the event co-ordinator, my sound tech, lighting, go to man and all round Jack of  All Trades we navigated complications with the mic and the improvised amplifier and managed to pull off a semi professional stage act.

So thanks to Chris, and Chris, for holding the evening together and capturing the moment, and to all the audience who turned out not to be stoney at all and especially those who later tracked me down at my work to share their own feelings and thanks.