So you're telling a story at Perfect Liars Club? Here's all the information you need to be awesome.
Sections of advice below:
- Preparing your story
- Pre-show logistics
- What happens on the night
Preparing your story
What should my story be about?
If you are telling a TRUE story, your story should be about a particular incident/experience that happened to you in your life that is true, but sounds so unlikely-sounding/ridiculous/crazy/hilarious/bizarre/etc that anyone might easily think you could be making it up. You need to be the main character in the story. And it needs to be totally true.
If you are telling a LIE, your story should be about a particular incident/experience that you will describe as happening to you in your life. The story needs to strike a balance by being sufficiently unlikely-sounding/ridiculous/hilarious/bizarre that people might easily believe you are making it up... but not SO ridiculous that it sounds like a definite/obvious lie. You need to be the main character in the story. The story must be a genuine lie. It cannot have happened to you, and it cannot have happened to someone you know (though feel free to be inspired by things you hear). However, you can use settings you're familiar with, eg you don't have to make up basic things like your profession etc...
Whether you are telling a truth or lie, Your aim is to make people think: "haha, surely that can't be true.... but wait, maybe it is! Or is it?" Also, try to give your story a beginning, a middle and an end. Narrative arcs like this help the story work well. There is no specific theme. If in doubt, check with Layla.
Is there anything special about how I prepare for this particular storytelling night?
Yes indeed:
1. Your story needs to describe something that happened to you/something you did. Unlike some other storytelling nights, the focus isn't on introspection and personal development. Focus on the actual incident. A little back story is of course fine. But too much back story or detail about how you grew and changed as a person gives the game away and makes people guess your story is probably true.
2. Be prepared to be interrogated - the audience will ask you all sorts of questions, which may be easy enough to answer if your story is true, but if your story is a lie, prepare to improvise. Your goal is to sound convincing, so you might want to get a friend to ask you some sample questions to prepare for this in advance. Don't worry - most of the storytellers so far have said this is their favorite part of the show.
Anything else?
Your story should be funny, and fairly lighthearted. And keep it to 7 minutes please!
Keep it clean. Stories about sex incidents haven't gone down well in the past.
If your story is supposed to be true, make sure it actually IS true! And if you've agreed to do the lie, make sure it IS actually a lie! We're trusting you!
Oh, and whether you are telling a true story, or you are the liar... tell NOBODY! Your fellow suspects will not know who is lying (well, if it isn't you, one of them will!). Your help keeping it a secret makes it all fun, and you can even quiz your fellow suspects during the interrogation.
Examples of past stories
Someone went on a blind date with a guy she liked and started to get closer to. After a few dates he invited her back to his house where he revealed he
was a huge fan of the Insane Clown Posse, and considered himself a juggalo, had satanic leanings, gave her a homemade knife as a gift, and invited her to a gathering of followers of ICP.
Someone wanted a therapist but had no money so found a service where student therapists inexpertly deliver therapy for $12/hour, and endured some months of therapy where whenever she said stuff, the phone rang and the supervisor from behind the two-way mirror gave the trainee therapist instruction of what to say next, until she couldn't take it any more.
Someone went to a sex show in Amsterdam and found himself obliged to do things that were frankly too lewd for Perfect Liars Club!
Someone went to Syria as a human rights lawyer to take testimony from Iraquis who claimed to have been tortured by Western troops, and came under threat by the Syrian security police.
Someone worked on a TV production where he met a Simpsons voiceover star, as they both picked up their lunch delivery. Hank didn't have their wallet
and our storyteller paid for it, then pursued the money from the star in various amusing doomed ways.
Someone was in New York for a wedding and afterwards thought he'd found a nice girl, took her out on the town, and only as he was approaching his hotel did he find out she was a prostitute.
Someone suspected her best friend's husband's tale of how his previous fiancée had been killed in a car crash and went sleuthing, only to find
it was all a lie.
Someone needed insurance money for their broken down car and persuaded a friend to 'steal' it, only for the police to pull him over.
Someone went to a science summer camp where they had to extract pig semen from live pigs.
Someone was working in an inn in the countryside one weekend when a D list celebrity turned up, booked out the hotel, and conducted some weird culty ritual.
Someone was a college DJ and acquired a stalker with multiple identities, one of which he fell in love with.
Someone was tricked by a classmate into taking a goat to his Jewish friend's Passover dinner and mortally offended the family.
Someone was mistaken for a Mayan fertility goddess while travelling in Central America and spent months living with a local family and performing fertility 'miracles'.
Pre-show logistics
What should I do once I'm confirmed for a show?
Ensure that you are absolutely certain whether you are supposed to be telling a true story or a lie.
Send us a brief plot summary, and if you want to discuss it, e-mail or set up a call!
Set up a time to run through your story on the phone and tweak it according to any feedback.
Send us an 8-word biography, and swap phone numbers in case of any last minute issues.
Make sure your friends have tickets - it sells out fast!
Practice your story, and particularly if you're the liar, practice answering questions about it.
Be on time so we do not have a heart attack. There is no Plan B.
Prepare for stardom.
What happens on the night?
Running order
Introduction
4 stories
Intermission
Interrogation
Voting
The result
Finally: Thanks for participating! Hope you have fun, and can't wait to see you!
What should my story be about?
If you are telling a TRUE story, your story should be about a particular incident/experience that happened to you in your life that is true, but sounds so unlikely-sounding/ridiculous/crazy/hilarious/bizarre/etc that anyone might easily think you could be making it up. You need to be the main character in the story. And it needs to be totally true.
If you are telling a LIE, your story should be about a particular incident/experience that you will describe as happening to you in your life. The story needs to strike a balance by being sufficiently unlikely-sounding/ridiculous/hilarious/bizarre that people might easily believe you are making it up... but not SO ridiculous that it sounds like a definite/obvious lie. You need to be the main character in the story. The story must be a genuine lie. It cannot have happened to you, and it cannot have happened to someone you know (though feel free to be inspired by things you hear). However, you can use settings you're familiar with, eg you don't have to make up basic things like your profession etc...
Whether you are telling a truth or lie, Your aim is to make people think: "haha, surely that can't be true.... but wait, maybe it is! Or is it?" Also, try to give your story a beginning, a middle and an end. Narrative arcs like this help the story work well. There is no specific theme. If in doubt, check with Layla.
Is there anything special about how I prepare for this particular storytelling night?
Yes indeed:
1. Your story needs to describe something that happened to you/something you did. Unlike some other storytelling nights, the focus isn't on introspection and personal development. Focus on the actual incident. A little back story is of course fine. But too much back story or detail about how you grew and changed as a person gives the game away and makes people guess your story is probably true.
2. Be prepared to be interrogated - the audience will ask you all sorts of questions, which may be easy enough to answer if your story is true, but if your story is a lie, prepare to improvise. Your goal is to sound convincing, so you might want to get a friend to ask you some sample questions to prepare for this in advance. Don't worry - most of the storytellers so far have said this is their favorite part of the show.
Anything else?
Your story should be funny, and fairly lighthearted. And keep it to 7 minutes please!
Keep it clean. Stories about sex incidents haven't gone down well in the past.
If your story is supposed to be true, make sure it actually IS true! And if you've agreed to do the lie, make sure it IS actually a lie! We're trusting you!
Oh, and whether you are telling a true story, or you are the liar... tell NOBODY! Your fellow suspects will not know who is lying (well, if it isn't you, one of them will!). Your help keeping it a secret makes it all fun, and you can even quiz your fellow suspects during the interrogation.
Examples of past stories
Someone went on a blind date with a guy she liked and started to get closer to. After a few dates he invited her back to his house where he revealed he
was a huge fan of the Insane Clown Posse, and considered himself a juggalo, had satanic leanings, gave her a homemade knife as a gift, and invited her to a gathering of followers of ICP.
Someone wanted a therapist but had no money so found a service where student therapists inexpertly deliver therapy for $12/hour, and endured some months of therapy where whenever she said stuff, the phone rang and the supervisor from behind the two-way mirror gave the trainee therapist instruction of what to say next, until she couldn't take it any more.
Someone went to a sex show in Amsterdam and found himself obliged to do things that were frankly too lewd for Perfect Liars Club!
Someone went to Syria as a human rights lawyer to take testimony from Iraquis who claimed to have been tortured by Western troops, and came under threat by the Syrian security police.
Someone worked on a TV production where he met a Simpsons voiceover star, as they both picked up their lunch delivery. Hank didn't have their wallet
and our storyteller paid for it, then pursued the money from the star in various amusing doomed ways.
Someone was in New York for a wedding and afterwards thought he'd found a nice girl, took her out on the town, and only as he was approaching his hotel did he find out she was a prostitute.
Someone suspected her best friend's husband's tale of how his previous fiancée had been killed in a car crash and went sleuthing, only to find
it was all a lie.
Someone needed insurance money for their broken down car and persuaded a friend to 'steal' it, only for the police to pull him over.
Someone went to a science summer camp where they had to extract pig semen from live pigs.
Someone was working in an inn in the countryside one weekend when a D list celebrity turned up, booked out the hotel, and conducted some weird culty ritual.
Someone was a college DJ and acquired a stalker with multiple identities, one of which he fell in love with.
Someone was tricked by a classmate into taking a goat to his Jewish friend's Passover dinner and mortally offended the family.
Someone was mistaken for a Mayan fertility goddess while travelling in Central America and spent months living with a local family and performing fertility 'miracles'.
Pre-show logistics
What should I do once I'm confirmed for a show?
Ensure that you are absolutely certain whether you are supposed to be telling a true story or a lie.
Send us a brief plot summary, and if you want to discuss it, e-mail or set up a call!
Set up a time to run through your story on the phone and tweak it according to any feedback.
Send us an 8-word biography, and swap phone numbers in case of any last minute issues.
Make sure your friends have tickets - it sells out fast!
Practice your story, and particularly if you're the liar, practice answering questions about it.
Be on time so we do not have a heart attack. There is no Plan B.
Prepare for stardom.
What happens on the night?
Running order
Introduction
4 stories
Intermission
Interrogation
Voting
The result
Finally: Thanks for participating! Hope you have fun, and can't wait to see you!