Watching Cherry perform on stage is always a very proud moment for me, especially as I know that a great amount of thought and work has gone into every detail – each nuance thought about, the visual effect has been carefully detailed and considered, each joke or put-down critically honed to perfection, and the majority of the audience will enjoy themselves, laugh and generally have a good night. I love to see Cherry receive the positive feedback that people give directly after the show. Generally there is usually a lady in the audience who has had a few-too-many, who becomes Cherry’s new best friend for the next ten minutes and sees it as a personal challenge to turn him back to the straight-side, but then generally leaves after learning a few helpful make up tips from Cherry instead...a win-win situation I feel for all involved.
However, the one thing I still have trouble dealing with is the negative aspect of an audience. The old adage of “you can’t please everyone all the time” is really true. When you are out there doing your thing in a cabaret show or a Ladies Night, for example, not everyone is going to be interested as the main event is the stripper, and it does pain me to see a small number of members of the audience not really taking any notice of what Cherry is doing, not interacting with the act, and generally being rather dismissive of it all. As an entertainer, you generally learn to deal with it, you know as soon as you start that you are not going to appeal to the whole audience, but you work with those in the crowd that want to listen and enjoy what you, as an entertainer, are doing. Personally I have to prevent myself from getting up, walking over to the irritating little runt who has done nothing but talk to her coven of likewise thoughtless, irritating gobshites all the way through the show whilst slinging back gallons of Malibu and pineapple down them, poke them in the eyes and bellow at the top of my lungs, “That dress costs hundreds of pounds you ungrateful bint, now bloody watch the show!!!!” According to Cherry that is not good PR...
As much as it upsets me to think that Cherry does not get the kudos she deserves from ALL the audience, I have to constantly remind myself it is nothing personal and it is generally in the minority. I have to mentally put on a Teflon coated attitude and constantly reinforce the thought that those who are not bothering to listen and take part, well it’s their loss - I just hope for their sakes that they stay under Cherry’s radar...
