Camden Fringe has already proven to be something of a hot topic here at TNC and Nathan’s show is going to be something else all together. We are really lucky to have had Nathan take the time out and answer a few of our questions and think your really going to enjoy what he has to say.
But rather than listen to me go on this is what the icon himself, Uri Geller, had to say about Nathan Penlington:
‘Wow, I just discovered Nathan Penlington! He is skilled, talented,
mastering a tangible force of visionary mind power. His latest show is
simply supernatural! and Nathan delivers it with mystical sensitivity.
I highly recommend it!’ – Uri Geller
How have things been going, you all done and dusted for the summer shows or are there still some creases to iron out?
I think all good stand-up shows take on a life of their own once you start performing them regularly, they morph and alter in ways you can’t really predict until they’ve out there in front of audiences, no matter how well scripted and rehearsed they are. I’ve changed a couple of things since the last few performances, and I’ve just added some more multimedia elements, which I hope will look great, but there is always that worry that technology will fail, especially when the subject matter is Uri’s psychic powers.
What has made you want to do the Camden Fringe?
I’ve previously performed five years worth of shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, and this year I wanted to try something else. I’d heard some really good things about the Camden Fringe, and living in London means I get to sleep in my own bed every night, unlike at other festivals.
Do you ever get nervous?
I get anxious hoping that things will go well, more than getting nervous as such. But that anxiousness means I the channel all of that energy into putting on the best performance I can.
Have there been any obstacles in producing this show?
Uri Geller is famously litigious, so I’ve had to be very careful that I don’t say anything he can sue me for.
What was the best feedback you got from your audience or the press?
I contacted Uri himself to see if he would give me a quote to use as part of the publicity for the show. A few days later he emailed over these few lines:
Wow, I just discovered Nathan Penlington! He is skilled, talented, mastering a tangible force of visionary mind power. His latest show is simply supernatural! and Nathan delivers it with mystical sensitivity. I highly recommend it!?.
I also thought it was important to speak to James Randi – Uri’s arch enemy, champion of rational thought, magician and sceptic. Randi said the following:
‘Nathan Penlington encourages us to think twice before accepting the ridiculous claims of mystical pretenders?.
What was the Best and Worst shows you’ve played?
I started out in magic as a teenager with a dove and rabbit act which was performed silently to a music backing track. I was booked to appear at a working men’s club in North Wales one Saturday night, their biggest night for entertainment, so the club and bar were full. Just before I went on stage the MC informed me that the sound equipment was faulty so there was no guarantee the tape would work.
For the first five minutes of the show it all seemed to be working fine, and then it abruptly stopped. The next fifteen minutes were performed in absolute, excruciating silence, apart from a mutter rising quickly to loud conversation. It was the longest fifteen minutes of my life. After that night I made myself a promise that I would talk from then on, after all if the PA breaks down, you can always shout.
I’ve been very lucky over the years to have performed alongside comedians and poets I’ve admired for a long time: Stewart Lee, Robert Newman, John Cooper Clarke, and John Hegley. Those have always been the special shows for me.
What can people expect?
The show is an obsessive deconstruction of the spoon-bending cultural icon Uri Geller that fuses stand-up, spokenword, and psychic ability. The audience will get the opportunity to explore their own psychic potential as we try duplicate Uri’s feats of mind-power.
Any new tricks up your sleeves?
The show contains the world’s first psychic fork straightening trick. I’ve also just carried out the most dangerous stunt of my life, riding a cutlery covered mobility scooter while blindfolded with the bowls of spoons gaffer-taped over my eyes, around an obstacle course made from human bollards. We made a film of the event, so if you want to see if there was a fatal pronging, come to the show.
Who has been an inspiration to you?
Uri Geller is a constant inspiration and influence in my life. He has forged a 40 year career, and has earned millions of pounds from the ability to bend cutlery with the aid of his mind. I find it surprising that anyone could not be inspired by him.
What advice have you been given, and what advice would you give someone bringing a show to Camden Fringe?
I was advised not to perform a show about Uri Geller, as most people don?t care what he has been up to since 1971, apart from Uri and me. But some advice you have to ignore. The best advice I can give to anyone performing at any festival, venue or theatre though is to treat other performers, staff and promoters with respect. Being arrogant and egotistical is not likely to get anyone to want to work with you ever again.
- Thu 12 Aug 2010, 9:00pm Etcetera Theatre
- Fri 13 Aug 2010, 9:00pm Etcetera Theatre
- Sat 14 Aug 2010, 9:00pm Etcetera Theatre
