A witch, A Choir Boy And A Night At The Fringe
Lachlan Werner, the creator and performer of Fringe hit 2023 ‘Voices of Evil’. Part Masterful ventriloquist, part exceptional comic and all round not at all “self proclaimed” poof!
Normally I start my day with admin, I love doing it somewhere whilst having coffee in a cafe. My room can often have the feeling of a props cupboard, so it is good for me to get out of that and go somewhere where I can be more clear brained. Often I have coffee with Ella the Great, it has become a ritual recently to meet up when either of us have a gig and we will chat, “where are you going tonight?” “What sort of audience do you think it’ll be?”
If it is a run of my solo show I try to be really careful with my voice, that is a big one, I try to not speak too much up until a point in the day and then I will do a vocal warm up maybe a few hours before I go to the venue. But often when just gigging I don’t need to be that careful, when it is just ten minutes that's fine to do the witchy noises that I need to do.
Weirdly even if I am having a bad vocal day, if it is a gig, somehow the witch, Brew, can pull through. She is very good at pulling it out of the bag and being on form. I’m often surprised, “how is she doing this?” I can’t speak right now, but she can. It’s the witch, she is doing everything, I take way too much credit on the posters, really I am just the support act.
If I am doing my solo show, I’m a little bit more focused I guess, because there are a lot of moving parts and I have to be aware of all of those things from early on in the day. Making sure that I am physically and vocally able, but also dumb logistical things like, are there enough batteries for my red lights or have I got enough fake blood still?
I find doing an hour nerve wracking, if in a run of shows, after a couple days I will be a bit more relaxed and less nervous, but I always find doing an hour quite a daunting thing. I usually am quite anxious in the day before the show, mainly because of all those moving parts. I will have the feeling that I forgot to put a spoon somewhere on stage and then everything will go wrong.
Being a bit neurodiverse and a bit all over the place, is probably why I am a very nervous thinker, I could very easily ruin everything, it isn’t unlikely that I will forget something. So I try to be quite focused and not over think about too many other things.
When I get to the venue I like to chat to everyone while I am there and to be quite social, especially if it is a casual gig, it is also quite good energetically to stop you being too internal. I think that can help to open up to what the actual vibe in the space itself is, the audience that are there, the other performers, so you aren't coming on stage in an isolated brain space. That isn’t too useful, it is better to be as open to the room that is in front of you as possible.
The main thing I usually need is five mins to talk with Brew, right before I go on stage. That is my ritual, checking in with her and being like, “are you ready? What you gonna do? Let's have fun now.” She often does my affirmations, whatever gig I’m at, she is honest, if it seems like it will be a hard show, something might not be in place or it might seem like the audience aren't the usual audience and we might have to work a bit harder. She will be like, “look I will be real, this could be hard, the audience isn’t into us yet, but they will be, lets fuck it up, come on, you wanna do this, you love this”.
“Having a second on your own to figure out tiny logistics before stepping on stage and being in it. Figuring out the pieces of this puzzle and where do they go today?”
Before I start I paint my face white and do a very gentle physical warm up. It’s a stamina heavy show, not a physical show, but it’s a lot of moving and shouting at the same time without moving my lips, which takes lots of breath control.
Just before it is almost scientific, do I take out this bit, do I do this bit, that last moment of not being on stage to just go will I still do this or should I change it? Having a second on your own to figure out tiny logistics before stepping on stage and being in it. Figuring out the pieces of this puzzle and where do they go today?
Recently I have been so lucky as the audiences have been gorgeous, there has been a shift from doing earlier versions of the show and Brighton last year, it was still finding its audience, in those moments it would still take a bit of time to introduce the audience into the world you are creating. I would think, “I know you don’t know what this is yet, and it is weird because it is clowney and strange”, gaining their trust can sometimes take the first few minutes of the show. Now I am lucky I have done the show for a while and people come with more of an expectation of what it is going to be. I feel like I can hit the ground running a bit more. The first thing I do is get a laugh and it is like, ok we know this and we can do this.
The show really does feel like a ritual in lots of ways which is funny because it is about rituals. The idea of taking the idea of me and Brew doing a very serious ritual was funny in my head. I know the show is written and there are beats I am going to hit, but it is also really nice when everyone is there and up for it, we actually make some magic now. Genuinely, what I take from some of the interactive bits actually really contributes to what is happening. It’s a cool feeling, it isn’t just me doing it.
I made this show for myself, so when I started I pictured an audience of queer people, strange people, clowney people and when I finish a show with that audience and they end up enjoying it and are really happy, then that show means a lot more, it's a lot more meaningful.
After the show I need a cool down. It’s a crazy show and by the end of it I am sweaty and covered in water and blood (fake!). The finale also escalates to a rock and roll place, so I need a minute to be like wow that was a mad thing to have just done, but, good, I did it. Usually, I want to chat with the people on the show first, either close friends, Charlie who techs the show, my sister, or Laurie who directs the show. Being able to unwind by talking to someone who I know very well, helps as they have seen the show enough times that they aren’t in the same frenzy that the audience might be in. It is nice to come back to someone who is in a chill grounded place.
During a run I can’t do a wild night out after. I can do it, but it does mean that I am so much more grumpy on the next day and in a run that isn’t a good idea. Although if I’m just gigging and it’s gone well I tend to usually have a later night than not, and I will stick around for a drink or two.
Finally, I have the worst ever after show ritual that I have developed. At around 1 or 2am (if the show has gone well, slightly earlier if not) There is a Chicken Cottage across the street from the train station where I live and they do the most terrible, greasy, fish burgers in the world, good gig or bad gig that is my go to. It is genuinely a nice grounding thing, the guys in there don’t care that I have just done a gig no matter how big or small or how much you will have smashed it, they will just look up from their fryer from the other side of the counter and be like, “do you want your usual fish burger?...”
“Yes, please!”
Reccs for fringe:
Lorna Rose Treen (one of my funniest friends and best comedic brains I have ever encountered) is debuting and is unmissable.
As are my artist siblings Frankie Thompson and Liv Ello who are performing their new work 'BODY SHOW', which, knowing them, will be mind-blowing and unlike anything you've ever seen.
Also huge shout-out to fellow witch-clown Julia Masli who is performing 'HA HA HA HA HA HA HA',
Abby Vicky-Russell bringing her INCREDIBLE play 'Gush' (which made me laugh and sob at Vault this year)
Riss Obolensky with 'Healing King Herod', one of the funniest and freshest clowns/drag kings.
Finally, my actual twin/the mother of Fool's Moon Cabaret, Paulina Lenoir, is bringing her first solo show this year. That will be completely wild, joyful and a feast for the senses.
Venues:
I absolutely love the Blundabus/SpiegelYurt. It is the place to be for the real spirit of Edinburgh Fringe. For proper rock and roll shows that resonate real joy and bringing people together. It's the heart of the Fringe. Lucy Hopkins and Bob Slayer curate a bunch of the most beautiful weirdos there.
I also love Monkey Barrell and loads of my favourite performers will be there this year as well!
As far as London haunts go I just very strongly recommend Chicken Cottage opposite West Kensington station.
I will be performing my demonic ritual every night for the month at 10.30 (except 15th and 23rd) in The Cellar, Pleasance Courtyard. Come and make some noise and sacrifice whatever you want in the pursuit of wicked magic.