👋 Greetings, dear readers.

You caught me swamped with storytelling gigs due to World Book Day week, which is this Thursday, March 5th. So, I apologize for the short length of this week's newsletter, besides my usual vomit of upcoming events.

Having so many performances, most of them solo, makes me want to talk a little bit about personal rituals or superstitions when facing one. This is something that I carry from my theatre background, where traditions need to be carried out to summon the best energy possible for a performance.

One of my first directors, Cesca Salazar, had a lovely tradition. Before a performance, she used to summon us and, one by one, she would put in our hands the same piece of wood (which was from the stage of a theatre that burned down) to pass over our shoulders the energy of hundreds of previous performances. I’m not superstitious, but I always thought the symbolism of it was beautiful, and somehow it boosted our morale. A lovely placebo.

Ever since then, whenever I have a performance, I like to have some time to myself to warm up vocally, physically, and mentally. One of my favorite ways to warm up and tune into the craft is singing the "Serenata di Arlecchino" to Colombina in my favorite opera, I Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo, a piece that is quite meaningful to me. Also, as a performer, there’s nothing like singing a song about a performer performing as a performer in Commedia dell'arte to get in the performing mood. (Now say that fast 😆).

There are times, though, that logistical circumstances don’t allow me to have a proper warm-up. With a warm-up or not, there’s something that I always do. I don’t have with me a piece of wood filled with theatre history, but I have a mental scrapbook. In it, I have mental pictures from different moments in time that led me to where I am. Those pictures are images, smells, sounds, and feelings that I associate with being behind a curtain moments before jumping on a stage many, many years ago.

I’ve mentioned in this newsletter the importance of acknowledging one's path, and that’s something that I do constantly to honor, not just the audience I’m about to perform for, but to honor the stage joys and struggles of my past self.

If you perform, do you have any ritual to help you brew that placebo to give you courage? I’d like to know.

📆 What is coming up

• 🇬🇧 5th of March - Acaprov at The Jester Jam (London, UK). Some are eager for an Acaprov show in South London and there we’ll be 😄 Join us in Tooting.

• 🇬🇧 8th of March - London Playback Presents: Come as you Are (London, UK). The Rosemary Branch Theatre welcomes back London Playback to reenact your stories. Here you can get your tickets.

• 🇩🇪 12th of March - It’s About Time, a Playback Theatre Performance (Berlin, Germany). I look forward to perform with an amazing of Playback Theatre Performers in Berlin! Come and see!

• 🇬🇧 13th of March - Acaprov at Shoreditch Balls (London, UK). Sad to miss March’s improvised a cappella musical. But you don’t have to miss it!

• 🇩🇪 14th-15th of March - Playback Theatre Level 2 Intensive (Berlin, Germany). Besides performing in the capital of Germany, I’ll be offering a two days intensive. Looking forward to it. If you are around check it out.

• 🇩🇪 21th-22nd of March - Playback Theatre Level 2 Intensive (Hamburg, Germany). And also, I’ll wave the Winter goodbye while offering the same intensive in Hamburg.

• 🇬🇧 3rd to 6th of April - Playback Theatre Core Training Intensive (London, UK). I´ll be co-running, with London Playback, a core training intensive during the easter weekend. A perfect oportunity to learn Playback Theatre from ground level. Get on the waiting list.

📚 🎮 🎥 📺 The geeky dessert

I Swear is a movie that has been on my radar, and my media server, for months but never the chance to press play on it didn’t arrive until last week. The movie got many accolades during the BAFTA movie awards so we decided to watch it… and we blame ourselves for not watching it earlier.

The film tells the story of Scottish Tourette’s syndrome advocate John Davidson based on his life experiences. It’s exceptionally well acted and shot, it keeps you constantly engaged in an emotional minefield.

Compelling and educational.