Thought it may be good to see how we all go about our shows with all the different types of set ups that we use.

Graham Lee

It's surprising how something so small & trivial can throw you out of your comfort zone
I bought a new table for my shows in the week & used it for the first time today.
The old roll on table, which was like a trusted old friend I'd had & used for about 10/12 years, I've repaired & done it up a few times over the years but was looking for something bigger to put some larger props that I've not been able to fit into the old roll on.
The new table is only about 3 inches higher & 2 inches smaller in width so had to change things about behind the scenes. Shelving was at different heights as well. Nothing was in the normal place so where the act flowed there I am looking for where I'd put this that & the other. I'm sure over time I'll get used to it but I'll have to check things out in the week to see if I can fit & move things around with the new table so that I can get back in my comfort zone.....
Pictures below are of the old roll on, with water marks from an effect that I normally do.

Graham Lee

This is the new table which is made by Joe Lefler? I think.
Rather than it being painted which chips over time it is covered in a carpet like effect that you can add pictures etc as velcro will stick to it. So if you need a few different type fronts you could just laminate them & velcro on for different venues & shows etc.

Just so that you can compare the two;

Hi Graham,

The top new one is certainly a better looking quality, but as it is, I think it looks dull from the front. As it is covered with a carpet type material, have you thought of getting a sign made to attach to the front with velcro, adding some colour to it?

PS: Yes, still here in Belarus, in the hotel waiting to get picked up from my drive, we've then got a five our drive to the poorer areas of Belarus fro the next three weeks. I'm not expecting to get any more connections for a while, so I'm making the most of this morning. Speak soon.

I suppose there are two schools of thought on this.
The first is the person who has very colourful props & table with them all on show.
The second has a less colourful table with all the props for his act behind the table.
Can you guess where I stand on this

With the second group, I like to think that in my show that I'm the added colour (especially If you'd have seen the shirt I was wearing today :lol: The audiance needed sunglasses).
It's the interaction that goes on between the helper, audiance & myself that is important.
The props & things around me are secondary.
That's one of the reasons I was taken by the table, nice & bland
We all work completely differently, I'm just more comftable this way.
It would be easy to have a colourful front on the table printed up & laminated, but then you would need to set it up every show & put away into the table so taking more time & less room in the table for other things.

The shows were better today with the new table, starting to work things out & was very pleased.
A couple more weeks & I'll be back in my comfort zone & wondering why I had so much trouble.

Graham Lee