A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned I was invited to give a talk in Pecha Kucha format at the Dundee Rep theatre. I chose the topic of my Millennium Bridges tours from 2023 and 2025. It’s worth looking back at that previous entry to find out about my preparations.
A few days beforehand, I was told the running order. I didn’t mind where I would be placed on the bill, but going second allowed me to relax for the rest of the event. The theatre was set up like a cinema, with a large screen at the back of the stage, plus two TV screens at the back of the auditorium for
I was initially sceptical about being able to commit the entire speech to memory in such a short space of time. Assuming an average of 50 words per slide for 20 slides, that multiplies to 1,000 words. Instead of learning the script word for word, I found the pictures became an aide memoire, giving me a general idea about the next part of the speech.
There are legitimate times to learn by rote – such as acting roles – but I felt this wasn’t one of those occasions. As such, the script was slightly different each time and that gave it a more natural flow. There was no rule against reading from a page, and some of my fellow speakers did just that.
I also warned the organisers in advance that I would be performing while wearing my jacket and bag, as if I’d just come in from the cold, and I wasn’t about to run away.
The event was filmed, but the footage isn’t yet available. In previous years, the organisers would usually stream it online, but that didn’t happen this time. For now, all I can offer is a still image of the audience:
Topics covered by other speakers included: gardening, pub quizzes, an assortment of community and social engagement projects, and even an interpretative dance to cap off the evening.
Afterwards, a few members of the audience congratulated me on the talk. One man noted that I’d managed to time the end of my speech for exactly when the last slide left the screen. I thanked him but emphasised that it was a coincidence and I could easily have overshot the mark.
A long-term ambition is to help people find the confidence to speak in public, whether it’s for a social event like Pecha Kucha or convincing a boardroom of directors to fund a business project. Heck, maybe that could be my next talk. For the moment, I’ll drip-feed you one piece of advice for free:
Going on stage produces a rush of adrenaline, especially if you’re not used to it. Since it can take up to 30 minutes for this to deplete, and up to an hour for the effects to wear off, it’s best not to go straight to bed. Instead, I recommend spending that time winding down: take a walk, read a book, or listen to the radio.
Gavin Cameron 
I’m glad it all went well and wow what an audience! I enjoyed seeing the slide show and how you added our meet up photo but didn’t realise it would be presented to so many people live in person haha. I’d love to see the video footage, if you get hold of it. I guess when we post anything to social media it has an audience, anyway, just not all in the same place. Go you, anyway, Gavin on a great accomplishment. Does the Guiness Book of Records still exist? Sounds like you could apply to be on there. I like how public speaking comes easy to you. I don’t think I could do that over public speaking but guess it takes so many forms over it.
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The Dundee Rep auditorium can hold 455 people, and it was a sold-out gig, which was good to hear. However, the spotlights are so bright that performers don’t actually see the faces of the audience, aside from the first few rows.
Public speaking is a skill like any other: it can be learned through repetition and feedback. Groups like Toastmasters International exist to help folks with that, and I recommend them to anyone who wants to start or improve. In my case, I took over an open-mic night, so I very much learnt on the job.
For the speech, I was concerned about only one part: remembering the first line, because after that, the rest of it would naturally follow. I didn’t ask anyone else to film it because I knew there would be official camera persons there. The minute I have their footage, I’ll send it on.
Finally, it is true Guinness World Records still exists, but they’re shifted more to gimmicks rather than actual achievements. One article from March this year hits the nail on the head.
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