Practising what I preach

This week I gave a talk to some Year 10 Drama students.  I talked about focus.  It's one of those irritating words which sometimes make actors sound like they are trying to impress people.  I told the students they wouldn't need it all the time but that they had to use it all the time for when unexpected emergencies occur, emergencies such as the show causing extreme audiences reactions like laughter so loud and prolonged that it makes you wonder if you'll ever get through the show,  and the other extreme which is silence.  Both are distracting.  Both are dangerous.  Too much laughter can tempt you to over egg the pudding and milk the moment (so many dairy analogies!), too little tempts you to speed up and get the show over with as quickly as possible.  Focus enables you to carry on as if nothing is any different  in either situation - keep your concentration and maintain an even pace.  Focus is easy when nothing is happening.  But when you're distracted either by noise or silence, it is easier said than done to be unaffected by your audience and keep your head.  This weekend I experienced both extremes.    It's fascinating: what makes one audience react vocally and loudly and another to listen quietly?  The obvious answer is that one audience enjoys the show and the other doesn't.  That's what it feels like at the time.  But (and I'm not thinking this just to reassure myself) I think that is possibly too simplistic. If I can love a show and find it unbearably funny without having to express my mirth out loud (as I can and frequently do) then I must accept that others can too.  The actor shouldn't need the audience's vocal participation to lean on for support during his performance.  What he does need is focus.  That is a far more useful and reliable tool.  My newest piece of advertising blurb invites my audiences to laugh or nod knowingly.  Knowing nods don't make any noise, but they are very welcome.   Here endeth the lesson.