Welcome back to It Pays the Bills! Today’s guest is Lani Calvert, who speaks about the nature of theatre and communication, and why we should all be rioting.
A bit about Lani:
Lani Calvert is a London based performer, writer and professional loon. She gets a kick out of using comedy to tackle socio-political issues and will be taking her play 'The Room Upstairs' to the Edinburgh Fringe this year!
The Room Upstairs Instagram | The Room Upstairs Tickets | Instagram
In the condensed transcript below, I’ve italicized my questions and comments. Paid subscribers will receive a bonus edition next week, Perks of the Job. Enjoy!
What is the thing that you do creatively?
So, I am an actor who trained in musical theater. So, I do musical theater-y things. So, a lot of that has been political satire, comedy. I do gigs, I write. And I have directed something now.
And how did you get into it? All of it.
I've started really, really young actually, because my parents met through my dad gigging at an event my mom was at. So, they both joined a band together. So, I grew up singing -
Really, I didn't know that both your parents were in a band!
It's adorable. Yeah, I sing their songs all the time at home. And they are, they're great. And so we - I was a church kid as well, so I would do all the, like, Sunday school plays. And so some of my first, like, my earliest memories of being onstage was in these productions, and it's what I've always done, always really enjoyed. And then it kind of just snowballed from there. And now I'm doing it in London.
So, what is your current day job, then?
My current day job? I have two. So, I've got one that where I teach kind of extracurricular clubs: so, singing, baby ballet, of all things.
And I do singing and LAMDA exams, as well. And then my main job at the moment is I work as an SEN TA in a school for a secondary school for students with complex needs.
So SEN stands for special education… needs?
You know what, I actually don’t know that!
That's hilarious.
I don't know. I just do the job. TA stands for teaching assistant. So, there you go.
And so how did you get into into the teaching assistant for kids with special needs, then?
So, my first, one of my first like jobs out of drama school, just as a side hustle - I did the pub/bar thing. I was exhausted and really stressed, and I couldn't fit any of my life around it, because I'm not organized enough to book weeks off, like weeks in advance. And then our friend, Amy, she worked for a teaching agency. And she's like, why didn't you do that? Because you can just call up on the day and get work. So I was just, it's not the best paid work, but it's really good and really flexible.
So, I did that for a while. And I had other teaching gigs going on. And then they started putting me in SEN placements. And I was really nervous to start off with, but actually, like, really got on with it. And then after - I think I've been working with this agency on and off for like two years. And then in November, they put me in this school and I was a bit nervous because senior schools are a little bit intense. Basically, the kids just answer back more, and I'm not brave enough! But actually, I got on so well with the kids and the staff. And when they asked me to come on more permanently, then I was like, absolutely, yes. It's the first place I've really, really gelled with.
So what made you gel with it in a way that maybe you hadn't gelled with your previous teaching positions?
I really, really love SEN positions, because it's so much more creative, I think, because you really have to manage different sort of behavior, different sort of communication styles. And I think the SEN positions in a school that's built for students with those needs, is just so much nicer, because the days are a lot calmer. They're not kind of trying to jam lots of things in, they're built around what those students need. So it's just really, really calm, and just a really loving environment.
So I spend most of the day just trying to encourage people to do something, it's not like - you must do this or you’ll fail your exams. It's like, how can I make this day suit you the best and get the most out of it for you? And I love that. I really love that.
That's crazy, actually, that, like, when you think about it, that the standard of education isn't that, actually for anybody. You’d think actually, especially with people under 18, that actually that should be the focus is: how do you, the student, get the most out of it everyday, as opposed to kind of these arbitrary tests?
No, it's so - it’ like, it's another existential moment where I'm like, what is our education system for? Like, it's, you're forcing students to check boxes for you so your institution looks good. Whereas like, actually, in the school that I'm working at, it's how can - what are the skills you need to have to improve your life once you've left here? How can I help you get those, as many of them as possible? And like, if you don’t, fine, but I would like that for you. I just really like that. So that's - yeah.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And I think as well, like, the idea that you have to maybe modify your communication or change your communication style is also a big thing that lets you stretch that creative brain, like you were saying.
Totally, yeah. Because every student is so, obviously, every student is so different. But especially in this school, because everyone has different educational needs or like, just completely different in so many different ways. So, I have to kind of get to know the student first to then know, okay, you respond best to me joking with you, you respond best to me, like pretending to be a little bit grumpy, but you know, that I'm not or, and I really like having to change those dynamics. And, yeah.
Yeah, you get to play around a bit.
Yeah, play and like, the reason I love theater is because it's all about communication, conveying meaning, like, what is it to be a human? And so you've got all these like, incredibly interesting children and you're trying to work out how can I convey this idea to you in a way that you will absolutely understand and I really, really like that.
Amazing. So I usually ask this question later, but I think we're what we're talking about now really feeds into this, which is how does your day job feed into or relate or oppose what you do creatively?
So - feeding like, yeah, it kind of does. Yeah, like for me. So my BA was actually in languages. So I was like, why did, what is it about languages and theater that fascinates me? And it's -
Because you were a translator as well?
Yes, that was a strange time. Yeah, so I worked as a translator for a bit and I actually translated a play as well, with this really cool theatre company. And actually, this is this feeds into that because for my application, I was like, how do I feed in like, theater and languages? Why do I love them both so much? And it is like conveying ideas like, what is it to communicate? And theater for me is all about - well, not just for me, it’s for all of us - about telling stories. No, my really individual take on theater, it's about storytelling! (laughs)
That's a hot take! (laughs) Controversial!
I know, I’ll give you that for free.
So yeah, that's, I guess, that's how that job would inform me. And then teaching drama and singing, that's a bit more straightforward. It helps me to keep on top of my own singing exercises.
Yeah, definitely. Keep it top of mind basically.
I would love for you to talk a bit more about your writing and directing experience as well. Because, obviously, you've written a one woman show that was performed last year. And is being performed again this year -
At the Fringe!
Can you talk a bit about that? Because I feel like it has does have some kind of relation, not direct relation to the day job you're doing now, but kind of - it's within a sphere, or within a similar world, maybe.
Yeah, I've written a one woman show and it explores the idea of invisible illnesses, because the illness my mom has comes under that bracket. And, she - yeah, it’s set in one room and it actually stayed in one room in my first draft, it was just kind of almost like a kitchen sink drama, where I would just exit and enter. And that's how, that's how the play works, again, another theatre hot take! Entrances and exits, the end.
Yeah, and then when our lovely friend Riss came on to direct it, she added in the idea of using literal diary entries I wrote, as a child's going through it, as flashbacks, so you could get to know the characters for me and my mom more. Because the the key part of the play is that it's a one woman show with two characters, because my mum is present the whole time, but she's invisible! Because she's representing an invisible illness.
Which I think is just absolutely brilliant. I remember the first time you told me that and I was gobsmacked, actually.
Yeah, it was a bit of a risk, but I think it worked out, I think.
So, yeah, the diary entries. And we're currently in rehearsals for it again now, because we’re kind of revamping it a little bit for the Fringe. So we're adding a song.
Yeah. That’s super exciting.
Do you have any advice for anybody looking to pursue a creative, maybe go into a creative industry?
Oh, I mean, I think you should definitely do it because, I mean, to quote Jim Carrey, like you can fail at doing what you don't want to do. So you might as well take shot at doing what you love. And that's kind of always driven me through because - I mean, when I was working in a translation company, I just, I didn't gel with it. And I didn't do particularly well with it or I mean, I had the job, but I was never going to, like rise through the ranks or whatever, because it wasn't my passion. So I think definitely go for it.
But just be prepared that it's, it's going to be tricky. And I think it was one thing that they our course leaders really drilled into us and I didn't properly appreciate the benefits of until we graduated - but it's like be be willing to make your own work.
And I guess kind of - don’t be afraid to learn what sort of artist you are. Because I mean, if you do a course like musical theater, you kind of have the idea of - I’m a triple threat or I'm an actor-muso. And you kind of put yourself in those boxes, that actually there are way more niche and more interesting boxes that you could like, maybe you're an improvised musician, like an acapella something, or a cabaret artist. Which still draws on all those skills that you'll study while you're studying.
But yeah, what's what's the avenue that you really would like to go down? Because it's so much more, so much broader than just TV or film or theater. There's no - you can do street theater or whatever.
Amazing. Last question. What is your dream day job?
Oh, actually, not to sound cheesy, but I absolutely love where I work. Yeah, I absolutely adore it. Because I think - I really value kindness and compassion. I think in a lot of businesses, that's kind of like, oh, it's nice that you're nice, but that's not gonna make us any money. Like, we need you to be efficient or whatever. And I am efficient future employers! I'm very, very efficient. But like this job is somewhere where actually, like, compassion is really valued. And that makes me feel very happy.
And I really like the kids. They laugh at my jokes and that's all I ever really asked for. So this sort of setting is really suited to me now.
The Riot Episode with Lani Calvert