Comments on: A disappointing night of decadence

By: anne

anne — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 23:06:08 +0000

Hi Ellee

I am just reading this post to be nosey haven’t a clue what you are all on about ./.. read it a few times an even read the comments and not a clue .. Am I really that dense that I cannot get a hint at all .. oh maybe because i am not a writer ..

By: Ellee Seymour - MCIPR, PRESS CONSULTANT, JOURNALIST, POLITICAL AND PR BLOGGER. » A literary weekend in Cambridge

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 07:16:57 +0000

[...] Last year I was offered a free ticket for one of this year’s Wordfest events after their disappointing evening of Decadent Cabaret when some of the audience walked out, which I wrote about here, and it caused quite a stir at the time. [...]

By: Michael Bywater

Michael Bywater — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 21:42:53 +0000

Someone just forwarded me this item again, as if I didn’t already know about it…

The answer to your question is: if you indemnify me against the libel damages, I’ll tell you precisely what I think about the letter. If you don’t indemnify me, all I will say is that it was cowardly, patronizing, ill-considered, contemptible and indeed, as you say, unprecedented. If any professional theatre director had sent out such a letter, nobody would ever, ever work with her again, and rightly so.

As for the question about the budget: that seems a little disingenuous. A friend asks you to do something, do you say “What’s the budget?”? I hope not.

By the way, none of the budget reached us. Indeed, nothing reached me, at any rate. No fee. No expenses for my 380-mile round trip. I paid for my own hotel. I – and I think all of us — had nothing that you didn’t get too, after the show. Apart from the denunciation, of course; that was our special treat.

It won’t happen again. Believe me.

By: Ellee

Ellee — Tue, 08 May 2007 16:58:37 +0000

Michael, having said that, why did you all go along with it if you felt the budget was too low? And how do you all feel about the letter that was sent out?

I just want to repeat that I do not doubt your ability as performers and your talents, it just didn’t work out that night.

By: Ellee

Ellee — Tue, 08 May 2007 14:02:41 +0000

Michael et al, I do not think I can say anything else, other than to ask if you have followed this up with the Wordfest organisers. You can read their letter in comment 14. In my experience, it is unprecedented.

Ms Smack, nice to hear from you again.

By: Miss Smack

Miss Smack — Tue, 08 May 2007 13:19:29 +0000

Spatula, Mr Bywater?

If you are as good as you say, you will need the spatula to remove Ellee from her seat.

Thanks Ellee for an interesting post.

I’d be interested for your feedback on a new series of smutty posts I’ve been writing.

As always,
Smack

By: Michael Bywater

Michael Bywater — Tue, 08 May 2007 11:46:05 +0000

Having arranged events myself, I can assure you I could have organised an evening, nay, a weekend, of decadence, for £300.

Oh yes. Indeed. Me too. Several months of decadence on three hundred quid, easily. But a decadent CABARET? I think that would be harder. Having also, as they say, arranged events.

And as a general, and my last, point on the matter: decadence does not equal sex. If you look at the late C19/earlyC20 “Decadents” there was very little actual sex involved. Curious.

By: Anne Garvey

Anne Garvey — Tue, 08 May 2007 11:09:57 +0000

The Decadent Cabaret was what it implied, a witty, wordy often brilliant show. I loved it. Medlar Lucan and Durian Grey the exquisitely mannered maitres de ceremonie were inventive surprising and madly literary. Tango Dancers? Well I suppose they might have been nice but what about that trip into the fantasy world of Hari Kunzru’s amazing imagination – worth 8 quid of anyone’s money. Michael Bywater has reprised his own lubricious contribution I see, and surely you couldn’t help being awestruck by the show -stopping Sarah Hall “the Carlisle Nightingale’ whose poetic prose just blew us away. Boulevardier Dickon of the Clairol,seen-from-space Hair was just lovely – as was Neil in the Anorak, now if his poems weren’t erotic I conclude you’re better off down at Stringfellows . The band you accuse of being folk-like I and lots of others thought chaotic and fabulous, blimey, Doghammer was the name and did they alarm us. And if you missed the most erotic burlesque dancer in London then poor you. You’d pay 25 quid anywhere in Europe to see Miss Sugar Kane in Hanky Panky!
I can’t imagine what all this covert and spineless refunding and apologizing is all about, you can’t please all the people all of the time
Rowan worked to exhaustion on the rather peculiarly named Wordfest and deserved a bit more loyalty than that. So many amazingly talented people turned out for this exciting, surprising rackety show and all of them because she is such a gorgeous , daring and amazingly generous person.
I think as Bywater so much more briskly says, it was just plain mean to come to the after-show party explicitly to explain to the organizer that you thought it a failure. And your comments about octogenarians are just as low.

The Decadent Night was truly in the great tradition of Cabaret. Bring it on and if you want your decadence better packaged head off to Spearmint Rhino.

By: Philipa

Philipa — Tue, 08 May 2007 08:34:35 +0000

Ellee – v. good points as always; I shall ponder them.

By: Ellee

Ellee — Mon, 07 May 2007 21:40:42 +0000

Philipa, This is obviously a subjective topic, and I appreciate your reflections. I wish I had known you when you visited the Cambridge Folk Festival, I have been a few times too, though always to report on it. I believe you cannot take an audience for granted, whether professional or amateur, you have to engage them.

And life is complicated, full of expectations and disappointments, as the case you refer to points out. Is the grass always greener on the other side? Who knows?