I've run a couple of pretty big quizzes recently, with upwards of 200 people, which both went very well, I think, but I was surprised to find when I started speaking and stared out on the large mass of humanity in front of me, my hand was unaccustomedly shaky - I had no other reason to be nervous (I rarely am) than the very size of the crowd, so I wonder if the bigger and bigger an audience gets the more other 'performers' feel the weight of entertaining them.
In the past, I've generally found that numbers in themselves make no difference at all and an audience of one can be just as intimidating as 50,000, but perhaps not.
Equally, I tend to find I thrive and perform more the bigger the crowd, move around and make more of an active effort to generate excitement.
It would be brilliant some time to do a quiz for a really huge number, to hear the roar of hundreds and hundreds, or thousands, of people. Who knows? Stadium Quizzing?
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
I'm going up to Leicestershire to run a quiz today - I think it will probably be only two rounds, which is a long trip for not much time working, but's it's for a lot of people, and a pretty smart do, so in its own way as hard as anything.
The last time i ran a quiz for this group, i had a few trials with my laptop beforehand (about the only time that's ever happened in a serious way) so that added to the worry, but i think i got through that pretty well - playing all the music at low volume, if at all, and generally keeping it very low key.
You never really know how it's going to pan out, though - one night for the same company can be lowkey and civilised, the next one they'll be throwing food around. That's why one really does have to adapt as one goes, and why the job never becomes routine.
It seems almost surreal to me now that most quizzes just involve someone reading out a list of questions, but of course they do, and why shouldn't they?
I haven't taken part in a quiz for ages, I do enjoy it but it's never been an obsession of mine, and also i can find it a wee bit embarrassing (if i do well) or pressured (if people know what i do). Well, lots of things really.
Hopefully i'll do one soon - I had an idea with the people i used to do a regular quiz with to go round London picking off the quizzes like pirates or Harlem Globetrotters - a fun idea which gradually becomes more objectionable when you think about it. Quizzes bring out the arrogance in me like nothing else, and its probably best kept in a box while i carry on being average at other pursuits
The last time i ran a quiz for this group, i had a few trials with my laptop beforehand (about the only time that's ever happened in a serious way) so that added to the worry, but i think i got through that pretty well - playing all the music at low volume, if at all, and generally keeping it very low key.
You never really know how it's going to pan out, though - one night for the same company can be lowkey and civilised, the next one they'll be throwing food around. That's why one really does have to adapt as one goes, and why the job never becomes routine.
It seems almost surreal to me now that most quizzes just involve someone reading out a list of questions, but of course they do, and why shouldn't they?
I haven't taken part in a quiz for ages, I do enjoy it but it's never been an obsession of mine, and also i can find it a wee bit embarrassing (if i do well) or pressured (if people know what i do). Well, lots of things really.
Hopefully i'll do one soon - I had an idea with the people i used to do a regular quiz with to go round London picking off the quizzes like pirates or Harlem Globetrotters - a fun idea which gradually becomes more objectionable when you think about it. Quizzes bring out the arrogance in me like nothing else, and its probably best kept in a box while i carry on being average at other pursuits
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