Blinded? How narrative can help you see

Do you remember a moment when you froze in front of a group of people? You might have been standing in front of your classroom as a kid or even on stage in a school play. In the split second of this experience, we make a decision. I’m never doing that again. And we don’t. We stop putting our hand up, we find excuses for not participating and we certainly do not walk up to the stage again.

The fear of going blank while on stage is a common one. The threat seems real - that we might somehow die of embarrassment or public humiliation. Personally, I don’t know anyone who has actually died that way. But doesn’t it seem real at the time? Best to keep your hand down.

For those of us for whom performing on stage seems terrifying, I have a tried and tested solution that makes sense and works. It’s narrative. Having a narrative that is just for you, not for the audience, will enable you to remember what’s next, link together choreography or sections that previously seem unrelated, and leave you confident that at every second you know where you are on stage and why you’re there. 

Let me give you a real-life example of the narrative behind The Kings of Joy’s most recent performance at Queers of Joy. Eight Kings performed the Blinding Lights routine after only one 2-hour rehearsal two days prior. Knowing the narrative gave everyone the chance to know where they were and why they were there during the routine.

Let’s have a look. Watch the video to follow along with my commentary:

Let's dive on in to the Kings of Joy. 

The Kings of Joy!

Wow, amazing. Okay, so Blinding Lights. Here's the setting. It's dark. It's night. Here comes someone coming home from work.

This is Frank Lee Madir. Pony Boy. Taking off the jacket, taking off the glasses. I've just come home from work. I'm gonna get ready for bed. Randy Rootrat. Dommy D. Earl Gaye. Max'd Out.

Jack Hammer straight from the farm. Lying down in bed. Oh! Jim Junkie doing a bit of a workout before laying down in bed. Okay, "I've been on my own for long enough. Maybe you can show me how to love. Maybe..." So here's all these Kings they're trying to get sleep. "Going through withdrawals."

How can I get to sleep? It's just like, you're on my mind. "Baby". On my mind. I can't get to sleep. Look, there's a noise. I'm gonna jump up. Yes. Kick the blankets away. I'm gonna go for a night walk. I cannot sleep. "I said ooo..." You're on my mind and I'm blinded by the lights. I can't sleep. I'm tossing and turning!

It's just torturous. I'm thinking of you and I can't sleep. Right? I'm pacing. I'm pacing around the room. I've just got something on my mind. You're on my mind. Pacing, pacing. That's it. 

Now we're going for a walk down the street. The sun's coming up. We're seeing the sunrise.

Now we've jumped in the car together. Why? I don't know. We're in a clown car. Like everyone's jumped in. We turn to the side but we're still driving. Pull the brake. Yes. And we're back to what's on our mind? Really. Which is you. I can't sleep. I'm tossing and turning. We're out for a night walk.

I'm just walking by to let you know. I could never say it on the phone. Really expressing myself here out on the street now. Who's this person I've just bumped into? A little sexual encounter in the night. Wow. Just trying to distract myself from thinking about you. Perhaps? I don't know. What's your story? 

Hey, hey, hey! Crotch, crotch, crotch moment. Just a gratuitous crotch moment. Little self-massage. Now I'm gonna put a blindfold on because I'm because I'm blinded by the lights. And who's this person in front of me? Oh my god. It's gonna turn into an all-night orgy, it looks like. What's happening here on stage? Wow, we're stripping off. We're taking off our clothes. I can't see anything. Who are you? Yes, I've found someone. I don't know who they are. I'm looking for someone. Where am I? I can't sleep. Oh, I took my blindfold off. Oh, what's happened? I'm in an uncompromised position with a stranger I didn't know. 

Amazing. Go the Kings. Kings of Joy. So there you go. We had a little bit of a night walk. We couldn't sleep at the beginning. Came home; couldn't sleep; lay down on the floor. And then we've got into this whole basically ending with an all-night blindfolded orgy. Often the narrative in my performances. Again, you do not need to know, the audience doesn't need to know all those details about the clown car. I mean, what was that in the middle? There was a clown car and everyone jumped in it and they were driving along at night and looking around, no one's around to judge me. And then we turn the brakes on. I mean, the audience didn't need to know that. But that narrative is what helps people remind themselves what comes next. Know what you're doing at every moment when you're on stage because who wants to feel like you don't know what you're doing or what you should be doing or what comes next? Right? So having a narrative can make all the difference.

Now let’s meet our Kings of Joy!

 Chris Queers of Joy 

The Kings of Joy!

Chris Queers of Joy 

Was it one week ago that you guys got this? Yep. Got the choreography one week ago. So absolutely amazing. What?

 Max'd Out  

Two days. 

 Chris Queers of Joy

Oh! Two days ago? Amazing. Okay, so I think we should hear from the King Coach, the choreographer. The most amazing person in the whole world. Basically. And also my biggest support and this whole thing wouldn't happen without her - my wife Danica Lani!

 Danica Lani 

Wow wow wow. Who else is like hot in here? Amazing. Who wants to meet our Kings?

 Danica Lani 

Come on forward. Hello. What's your name?

 Jack Hammer 

Jack Hammer.

 Danica Lani

Jack Hammer. Where are you from?

Jack Hammer

Ah just out, far away from the city. 

Danica Lani

Far away from the city. We had someone else far away from the city who grew up in the country. Okay. And what do you do in the country? 

Jack Hammer 

Oh I just, ah you know, I have my cows and pigs. They're my pets. I don't eat them. 

Danica Lani

You don't eat them?

Jack Hammer

No, I don't. No. I cherish my animals. I just like to watch the flowers grow.  

Danica Lani

Wonderful Jack. Amazing. Thank you for being here. That's Jack Hammer, everybody!  Step forward, my friend. Hello. What's your name? 

Max'd Out

Max'd Out. 

Danica Lani

Max'd Out! They're maxing out the house! Yes! Now, what's your story max...'d out? 

Max'd Out  

Close one. I'm an oyster shucker by day and a lover by night. 

Danica Lani

Amazing. Let's leave that mystery right there. Fabulous. Amazing. And who is this? It's our favourite lovable fitness influencer?

Jim Junkie

Jim Junkie.  

Danica Lani

Jim Junkie in the house! So how did you wake up this morning Jim? 

Jim Junkie

Yeah, it's a bit of a morning routine that I've really worked on. I started by waking up really early, looked at my vision board, and texted my best friend Tyson just to let him know I'm up and what my goals are. Cos we're like accountability partners. Like he doesn't text me back but you know what? What matters is that I text him.

Danica Lani 

Amazing. What commitment! What commitment! Amazing. Thanks for being here.  

Jim Junkie

Thank you.

Danica Lani

Please introduce yourself What's your name?  

Earl Gaye

Earl Gaye.  

Danica Lani

Earl Gaye. What's your story? 

 Earl Gaye 

I just like to look very glittery and to party. My two goals in life. I have fulfilled them tonight.  

Danica Lani

I was gonna get an audience vote. Who says that Earl Gaye has fulfilled those two goals tonight? 

All Audience

[Cheering] 

Earl Gaye 

I could die happy tonight.

Danica Lani

You could die happy tonight. I think a lot of us can. So thank you very much. Welcome my friend. And your name is?  

Frank Lee Madir

My name is Frank Lee Madir.  

Danica Lani

And tell us a little bit about you?  

Frank Lee Madir  

Well, I ditched the PhD to become a mechanic so... clearly that leads here. 

Danica Lani  

That leads us here to this moment being on stage together! Fabulous. Thank you very much. 

Danica Lani 

Hi. I heard someone say your name in the crowd. You're known in here. What's your name for everybody?

 Randy Rootrat 

Who am I?  

All Audience

Randy!! 

Randy Rootrat

That's right. Randy Rootrat. On Instagram. 

Danica Lani 

On Instagram. Great. What's your story?

Randy Rootrat 

Which one do you want? There's so many. You know, Randy likes the finer things in life. Grew up in the country out in Colorado, moved to Sydney. You know, found their boys. 

Danica Lani  

Found a place to be with the boys. Amazing.

 Randy Rootrat

It's all about community.

Danica Lani  

Amazing, amazing. Thank you Randy Rootrat. Next we have... who is this handsome, handsome person?  

Dommy D 

Dommy D.  

Danica Lani  

Dommy D's in the house! What do you do for a living?  

Dommy D 

I am a stripper.

 Danica Lani  

Okay, you work at night?  

Dommy D   

Both days and night. 

Danica Lani  

Oh!! Working around the clock! You're amazing. Thank you. And lastly we have... yehaaar! What's your name?

 Pony Boy 

I'm Pony Boy. 

Danica Lani 

No, it's great, it's great. Pony Boy. And what's your story Pony Boy? 

Pony Boy  

I was a boy but now I'm a man. And I'm a stunning... uh - a cunning stunt man. I do stunts. 

Danica Lani   

Is that what you do for work? 

Pony Boy 

Yeah, I do forward rolls and rolls. Backflips. Stuff like that. 

Danica Lani  

Amazing. And how are those jobs going at the moment? 

Pony Boy   

Oh yeah, I've been trying to break into the acting industry over in Hollywood. And ah... What's so funny? My family used to laugh at me like that. Um... 

All Audience 

Awwww...

 Pony Boy  

But I've been doing a few movies over there just to fund my acting classes. And um yeah. 

Danica Lani  

Any movies we might know or...? 

Pony Boy  

Yeah, you'd probably know me from 21 Pump Street. You've seen it? I can see the glint in your eyes. 

Danica Lani

Amazing.  

Pony Boy  

I'm losing my c-sock sock. It's falling down my leg.

Danica Lani 

I didn't know what to do here. I mean...

 Pony Boy 

You can put it back in this place if you like? 

Danica Lani  

How far has it gone? How far has it gone down? 

Pony Boy 

Instantly blinded by the lights now. 

Danica Lani  

Amazing. These are the Kings of Joy my friends! As Chris said, 78 first-time Drag Kings. If you want to be a Drag King, you could join. There's QR codes, you can put your name on the waiting list. It's a lot of fun. In fact, the most fun you can have with the clothes on. Or off. As you can see.

Anyone want to just quickly say what is it like having been a King of Joy? Some of you were a King of Joy from December 2020. Some of you just from the last WorldPride show. So who would like to step forward? Thank you.

Max'd Out 

When did I start?

Chris Queers of Joy  

April 2021!

Max'd Out  

Thanks Chris. Would you like to say the rest of my speech?

Chris Queers of Joy  

Yes, Danica is very supportive and...

Max'd Out

Well, that's all true. So I really, I think I've done - how many shows have I done Chris? Four. Something like that? Yeah. And the solo which -

Audience member

ICONIC!!

Max'd Out  

...which I never would have done. I have no - never had any desire to be onstage or dance. Had a phobia of dancing actually. So yeah, this is a lot of fun. And it's definitely like from my experience, it's something that I've gotten a lot of confidence with, and I guess, expressing gender in diverse ways for me. So yeah, I've had a ball. And I've met amazing people and yeah, that's one of the best parts is the people you meet. I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

Danica Lani 

Thank you very much. One more King! Who would like to step forward? Earl Gaye! Please. What would you like to share?

Earl Gaye   

It's sappy but since starting - and I haven't started that long. I think I started in October of 2022. But I've never felt so fully myself. And so fully using every part of myself not just kind of masking anything. And that means the world to me, it really does. And then, like Max'd Out said, the people you meet and everything. I couldn't be happier with the choice that I made to express myself so fully.

Danica Lani   

Amazing. So happy that you're here. And the Kings of Joy Gold Stars program for the first-time Drag Kings runs as a Pay It Forward program. So past Kings pay forward for future Kings, which is an incredible, incredible gift. So thank you very much everyone. Please give the Kings of Joy another round of applause. Weren't they spectacular? I'm going to be dreaming about them tonight. Thank you very much Kings! Well done.

Some final hints about using narrative:

1. Use narrative lightly as a way to remember what you’re expressing and why you are on stage at any given moment.
2. Don’t get so consumed in the background narrative that you lose sight of performing for the audience.
3. As NZ Drag King royalty Hugo Grrrl says, be wary of plot-driven performance pieces that create way too much complexity on stage and lose the audience. 
4. Keep it simple sweetheart.

Have fun with this! And remember, confidence is not a prerequisite to performing. You gain confidence by doing.

Love,

Danica

The King Coach
P.S. If you wanna be a Drag King, pop your name on the waiting list for Kings of Joy here.