The Jonathan Cann Lecture: Presentation Counts

20 April 2006

Jonathan earns his living as an actor and magical entertainer. He has a Diploma in Drama from Queen Margaret College in Edinburgh, but says that his real learning took place from constantly performing in front of an audience. He has acted in professional plays, pantomimes, musicals and films, and has appeared on T.V. He also has experience in staging shows and directing.

In his lecture Jonathan shared his advice on many different aspects regarding the art of presentation, from practical issues and defining your 'character' through to techniques for mastering the elusive 'stage presence'. He had three subheadings for his lecture: The 3 B's - Be Seen, Be Heard and Be Safe.

Jonathan talked about the power of using eye contact to connect with your audience. He highlighted the importance of the 'entrance' and gave advice on how to immediately grab the audience's attention. He talked about your movement on stage, the positioning of furniture and props and some practical considerations concerning lighting and sound.

He talked about 'Power, Pitch and Pace'; projecting your voice even if you are using a microphone and keeping your voice entertaining and interesting. He also mentioned how to use music for dramatic effect without it being detrimental to the magic.

Throughout the evening he stressed the importance of being prepared. Jonathan says; "If you have prepared and rehearsed your act and eliminated the foreseen problems it should make your mind clearer to deal with the unanticipated." He covered subjects from selecting volunteers and dealing with hecklers to being safe with 'angles'.

He also strongly recommended having a director. Someone who can be the eyes of the audience, offer feedback and consider everything from the entrance through to the exit.

It was an energetic and well thought out lecture, full of practical tips and advice from an experienced professional. It was an informal evening with comments and questions from the audience throughout the evening. It is difficult to describe some of the lecture in words as Jonathan demonstrates things both visually and audibly on stage and uses analogies to help put his message across.

His message was noted succinctly in his lecture notes: "If you are going to perform, grab every opportunity you can to get in front of an audience. Be prepared as much as you can be - and find a director!!"

Giles

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