Handing out flyers

Surprisingly enough one of the aspects of being a member of Belper Musical Theatre that has had the biggest impact on my behaviours is the annual session of handing out flyers to potential audience members on the high street in Belper. (NB for non residents - I don't know for sure whether the high street in Belper is the one that goes up the hill, which is quite possibly called King Street, or whether it's the A6, the main road through the town which is probably called something else like Bridge Street).
Lke me, I expect that many of you have been enjoying a moment of quiet contemplation as you wandered along a road when all of a sudden someone you have never met before jumps out in front of you and tries to persuade you to take one of their promotional leaflets or something. And like me, I expect that you have been so startled by this interruption to your reverie that you may have visibly jumped, scowled at the person concerned and refused to take one of the flyers.
If that is you, then can I suggest that you try having a go at being the poor individual trying to hand the flyers out for a change.
It's not the sort of job that you're going to be rushing to apply for, or encouraging your children to put at the top of their 'what I want to be when I'm older' list. To begin with it's really cold - especially at this time of year - so after about five minutes your fingers have gone numb and you aren't really sure whether you are still holding the flyers in your hands or not. After about ten minutes it feels as if someone is taking painful nibbles out of the tops of your ears, and after about fifteen minutes you can't feel the little drips at the end of your nose as they form icicles to attract passers by - I'm sure that you get the picture!
But that would be more bearable if people were just a little bit nicer and more friendly. We're quite aware that for some strange reason not everyone wants to come along and see Copa Cabana, although we're not quite so clear on why that would be. There really is something for everyone. From the scantily clad dancing girls with their high kicks, to the debonair Copa Boys strutting their stuff to Dancing fool and the half naked male torsos during the Havana sequences, the visual impact should be pretty stunning. The music is amazing, with our live orchestra performing in the new orchestra room and some incredible solo, duet and chorus numbers. And with a cheesy storyline about the fantasy of the unhappy Steven and his dreams of being Tony, it's not even too taxing on the old grey cells. Anyway, I'm digressing.
As I was saying, we know that not everyone wants to come along and see the show, which means that we are quite ok with people just saying 'it's not my cup of tea' and walking on with a little smile. We're also ok with the surprisingly large group of tourists that Belper attracts who explain that they are just in the town for the day; we have pointed out it's worth returning for!
But it is hard when people struggle to be polite or give negative gestures or facial expressions. We work on the theory that they have had a hard day shopping, or at work, and don't mean to be rude in anyway.
To go back to my earlier point, it has changed the way that I deal with people handing out flyers and I now try to politely decline as I walk along the street - after all I am also aware of just how much it costs to print a flyer!
So to all those who took a flyer from one of this weekend, you've met some of the stars of our show. We are really looking forward to putting on a great production and to you enjoying every moment of it. To those of you who didn't get a flyer and who can't wait to see the show, get in touch with Andrea now on 01332 882909 and get your seats booked quickly. I understand that Tuesday night has already sold out, so please don't wait and miss out.