Sign In / Register

Resources

Building a show from scratch is a journey of transformation—taking a flickering idea and turning it into a polished performance ready for an audience. In this session, Adelaide Fringe’s Connor Reidy discusses the realities of show development with comedian Jennifer Wong and Thomas Gorham of Head First Acrobats. They explore the highs and lows of the creative process, from the initial spark of inspiration to managing the pressures of a full festival run.

Contents

Watch the Session

Finding the Spark: Where Ideas Begin

Inspiration for a new Show rarely arrives in a linear fashion. For some, it comes from a desire to flip established tropes on their head. Thomas Gorham explains that Head First Acrobats often looks for strong archetypal characters—like the ancient Greek gods—to provide a familiar structure that they can then subvert through comedy and circus. This "surface level" familiarity helps an audience connect quickly with the world of the Show.

For others, the spark is deeply personal. Jennifer Wong shares how her Show was driven by a need to explore diagnosis and recovery through her own lived experiences. Sometimes, the idea is simply a personal challenge: "Can I do this again?" Starting with a question or a theme that genuinely interests you ensures that you remain engaged during the long months of preparation required for a festival like Adelaide Fringe.

Development and Testing: Building the Framework

Once an idea is established, the process of fleshing it out varies significantly by genre. In the world of narrative circus, development is often about "the how and the why." Thomas highlights the importance of casting and physical acts that fit the world being built. Because acrobatic Shows are physically demanding and technically complex, they often require a longer development period—sometimes up to three months—to ensure the finished product is 90% "ready" before its first outing.

In contrast, stand-up comedy is an iterative process. Jennifer describes the development period as a time of heightened observation. Once a deadline is set, everything in life becomes potential material. The process involves:

  • Constant Observation: Noting down why a conversation was funny or why a specific phrasing was pleasing.
  • Deep Exploration: Rather than rushing through many ideas, stay in "one aisle" of the supermarket to ensure you have extracted every possible angle from a premise.
  • Discernment: Recognising the difference between the "expansive" brain-dump phase and the "subtractive" curatorial phase where you decide what actually makes the cut.

Managing Pressure, Failure, and the Importance of Rest

The transition from "nothing to something" is often fraught with pressure, particularly when scaling up to larger venues. Thomas speaks candidly about the "trap" of success, where increased opportunities lead to an overwhelming workload—sometimes requiring artists to act as their own techs, plumbers, and administrators alongside performing.

Failure is an inevitable and necessary learning tool in this environment. Whether it is a street show that earns only thirty cents or a joke that falls flat on a Thursday after working perfectly on Wednesday, these moments provide the ultimate feedback. Jennifer introduces the "11:00 AM Rule": if a Show doesn't go well, you are allowed to stew on it until 11:00 AM the next day—but after that, you must stop. There is always another Show, and your focus must remain on the long run.

Finally, the group emphasizes that rest is not just a luxury; it is a vital part of the creative cycle. Functioning in "Festival Mode" indefinitely is unsustainable. Factoring in a recovery period after a big run is essential for maintaining your mental health and creative longevity.

Key Takeaways

  • Harness Archetypes: Using familiar stories or characters (like Greek myths) provides an immediate shorthand for the audience to understand your Show's world.
  • The Deadline is a Tool: Committing to a festival application creates a necessary "accountability" that forces ideas into reality.
  • Iterate and Edit: Distinguish between your "creative expansion" phase and your "curatorial" phase. You cannot edit effectively while you are still trying to create.
  • Embrace the 11:00 AM Rule: Process your failures and disappointments, but set a hard time limit on how long they can occupy your mental space.
  • Rest is Part of the Work: Sustainable careers in the arts require planned downtime. "Catatonic rest" after a festival is often a necessary part of the process.

Actionable Tips

  • Stay in the Aisle: When writing or devising, take one single thought or premise and try to find at least five different ways to express or expand it before moving on to the next topic.
  • Test with Peers: If you are in a discipline where audience testing is difficult (like circus or physical theater), invite trusted peers to watch a work-in-progress and provide feedback on clarity and narrative.
  • Document the "Laughs": For comedians and comedy-based performers, keep a digital note of why a specific moment worked. Was it the phrasing? The timing? The facial expression?
  • Budget for Your Well-being: When applying for grants or setting your personal budget, include line items for per diems or recovery time to acknowledge that your labor has value beyond the ticket price.
  • Apply Even if the Work Isn't Finished: Most Fringe artists write their program blurbs before the Show is fully written. Use vague but evocative language to give yourself room to evolve during development.

Additional Resources

If you are currently developing a Show and need support with the logistical side of your Fringe journey, reach out to the relevant teams at Adelaide Fringe: