Day 2 of Gaulier’s Le Jeu course (the first of the 3 x 2-week courses I’m doing).

As often happens in courses, the second day starts to feel more familiar. On day 1, the first thing we experienced (after the required form filling, covid testing, and general getting our bearings in the space) was the bell calling us into the movement hall.

In the movement class, when I got there music was already playing. We danced together and then a game began where we each had to do a “thing”, a warm up exercise dance move, and that passed round the circle of 30 of us.

Yesterday, it all felt new.

Today, after just 1 day difference, it started to feel normal.

The learning was built on top of yesterday’s, as you would expect.

Yesterday, we were passing balls to each other (“the ball is a metaphor” says Gaulier… which it is, it’s a metaphor for “the game” or perhaps “the focus”?, at this point at least I’d say it’s more like the focus, though I’m sure it will become “The Game” later on).

Today, in the movement class, the ex-students leading the class gave us some repetition and insights into what Gaulier’s teaching actually meant. Not through the medium of speaking and words, but through the medium of just physically practising it more. This was helpful – Gaulier doesn’t explain his teaching much.

In the class with Gaulier, we worked on openings of scenes. Someone was on stage (with the ball). When the scene started (after 3 drum beats), that person had to “not be boring.” Later, their scene partner would knock on the door, the first person would pass them the ball (pass the game) and the second person would enter.

If Gaulier was bored, or the person made a mistake, he stopped the scene. Usually, you were sent off stage. Some people lasted only a few seconds. I listed vegetables in my scene and lasted quite a while (it felt like, might have been 30 seconds?), but I don’t know how boring I was.

Boring is the biggest sin here at Gaulier. And, frankly, I love this attitude.

So often I see people giving presentations or people standing up to do stand-up comedy and it takes a long time for them to start being interesting (or “not being boring” as perhaps Gaulier would say).

Usually, people are boring for a long time when they get on a stage. Often the whole time.

In the world of presentations and a lot of acting, it’s extremely unlikely people will tell you the truth.

Most of the time, people are bored when you speak. When you give a performance, they are bored. But they will tell you afterwards “Oh I really liked your show.” or “This specific part of your presentation was great.”

But if “that specific part” of your presentation was great… what about the rest?

Probably, I feel Gaulier would say, it is boring.

It seems that one of the key differences that Gaulier provides compared to almost every other teacher (a few directors and other acting teachers apart, I’m sure) is that he focuses a lot of attention (at least in these first 2 days) on When You Are Boring.

It certainly has opened my eyes to another possibility with my teaching.

It makes me reflect on how boring so many professional speakers are. Even the best ones in the world, the most entertaining, the most acclaimed, are boring compared to many of the most run-of-the-mill performers in other performance disciplines. I’ve said that before and I’ll say it again in future.

I can’t help but start imagining how I can bring even just a tiny smidge of Gaulier’s “harshness” against Boring into my teaching.

It’s hard to know if I could get away with it.

People are snowflakes. Especially those big-ego presenters and business leaders who have never had anyone speak back to them.

Would they be able to handle a teacher like Gaulier? One who “insults” you all the time and tells you you’re boring (I put “insults” in quotes, because his insults are not sincere, it is a carefully perfected game).

I think most would not.

But it would be great if I could give them just an ounce of it.

I’ll leave my summary of today’s learnings to write up tomorrow or elsewhere, as I’ve left it quite late today to do any more now.