The Lesson I Learned From My Fall

When people ask me if I do stand up, I usually say sometimes but I prefer fall down….In 1993 I was booked for Christmas show in The Kanone Halle, Copenhagen. It was a show with a difference, that ‘s why the promoters used the Monty Python adage – And now for something completely different….

My purpose was to introduce a new bunch of British comedians each week for four weeks. They were not that new but at least new to Denmark. I was to work with an old friend Sigurd Barrett and act as Master of Ceremonies. I decided to do something different for me too so I suggested starting the show for the first week coming down on a wire singing a blues to Sigurd’s raunchy keyboards.

The rehearsals for this stunt were tricky as the theatre  with a high profile despite being ‘alternative’ – did lack certain technical standards. Two harness arrived from the Royal Theatre, and I chose one of them to do the act. The first three nights went fine, then on the Thursday morning we did a big TV shoot, with me descending onto a superb 60s Lincoln Convertible. The show got great critiques, the headliner ‘new’ comedian being Les Bubb – one of the best mimes to come out of England for years whose humour was also original and wacky.

The Thursday night show was a ‘short show’. Singing my blues I got to my line “My name’s Johnny and I can fly….” then I don’t remember anything till I woke up staring at a white ceiling. I had crashed seven metres directly on to the flagstone floor beside the stage and there crumpled under my big white coat a sufficient amount of blood had oozed out from underneath to send at least some of the audience out screaming. Sigurd apparently had carried on playing the piano, presuming I was improvising some nonsense. The next ten days I spent in Rigs hospital which Lars von Trier made famous in a TV series.

So what’s the lesson I learnt? The lesson I learnt was about myself. Why had I elected to perform a death defying stunt to start a show starring comedians? Apart from some magic no circus act was part of the show. I told myself it was me combatting my fear of heights and therefore a credit to my bravery. However I realized some months later that it was my ego with his paranoia of being second best on the night that made me go up there to literally be higher than the rest….. ridiculous but true. Pathetic actually as I had a big following in Denmark anyway from the years before.

It was in a session with a shaman some months later that I was told – You were brought down to earth, maybe a little roughly but you had to get it….someone up there likes you since you could easily have died. You must have a purpose...From that day on I have been in a process to change my ego and be as generous as I can with my knowledge and expertise. I hope I have learned this lesson well…..I am filled with gratitude to all those involved with my accident ( which I don’t believe any more – we are all responsible), my recovery time and since then….