I was once involved, while still at school, with the dramatic society. While this in no way qualifies me as an expert on stage production and performances, it does indicate my interest in that artform. I have come to recognise relationship with stage performers and that of most public figures. Public figures may include, inter alia, politicians, corporate heads, government-appointed agency heads, in fact anyone in the public domain who has to bear the scrutiny of the public. A fairly substantive portion of the first category-politicians-can also be compared to stand-up comedians-both in the messages they convey and the mode of delivery.
Playing the gallery is always, first and foremost, the most important element of the modus operandi in the comedian's stage delivery. Examine the type of audience and pitch the resonance of your performance to meet their expectations. The first "Father of the Nation" was a master of this. The good old Doc would carefully skew his political statements depending on which sector of the country he was speaking to and the composition of his audience.
The second "father of the nation," albeit self-appointed, may have understood this strategy but it was seriously compromised when he was unable to "read the gallery" due to his having been brainwashed into believing that God had intervened and had made all audiences "user friendly." The most recent example of a public figure playing to the gallery is that of a commission chairman (paint on his office sign still wet) bluntly (crassly?) boasting that he will be reviewing the performance of the most senior member of his organisation and will impose sanctions available to him. The quality of the performance can in most instances be judged by the applause-or lack of it-following delivery. But like most comedians, the price of getting applause justifies any costs associated with the belittling of other public figures and undermining esteem from junior staff.
V Lutchman
Maraval