---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I ran off stage at my first gig. Halfway…"
description: "\"I ran off stage at my first gig. Halfway through it, I forgot my lines and didn't know what to do, so I just ran out of the building down towards a lak..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/853/julian-barratt-9101_building_i-ran-off-stage-at-my-first-gig-halfway_2239232.jpg"
---

#  I ran off stage at my first gig. Halfway through it, I…

![“I ran off stage at my first gig. Halfway through it, I forgot my lines and didn't know what to do, so I just ran out of the building down towards a lake. I was going to throw myself in, but the compere came out and said, 'No, it's going well, come back and finish the gig!'” quote by Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/853/julian-barratt-9101_building_i-ran-off-stage-at-my-first-gig-halfway_2239232.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/853/julian-barratt-9101_building_i-ran-off-stage-at-my-first-gig-halfway_2239232.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/853/julian-barratt-9101_building_i-ran-off-stage-at-my-first-gig-halfway_2239232.jpg)

> “I ran off stage at my first gig. Halfway through it, I forgot my lines and didn't know what to do, so I just ran out of the building down towards a lake. I was going to throw myself in, but the compere came out and said, 'No, it's going well, come back and finish the gig!'”

[Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Stage panic can be overcome by external reassurance, turning a crisis into a comeback.

**In simple terms:** Support can rescue a performance.

Key Takeaway

Seek help when panic strikes.

Themes

performance anxiety resilience support

Mood

nervous relieved

Type

motivational reflective

When to use this quote

- live concerts
- theater rehearsals
- public speaking
- improv shows

Key Concepts

stage fright cognitive reframing audience engagement

Questions to Reflect On

- What personal strategies can you develop for panic?
- How does audience feedback affect confidence?

A Different Perspective

Reliance on others may not always be available; internal coping skills are also needed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) [Finish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finish/) [Finish Gig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finish-gig-5069855/) [Forgot Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgot-lines-1172218/) [Gig Halfway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gig-halfway-5069856/) [Halfway Forgot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/halfway-forgot-5069857/) [Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lake/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [Ran Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ran-stage-1126076/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/)

## Related quotes

> [I knew right then and there, it was the beginning of the end for Milli Vanilli. When my voice got stuck in the computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-pilatus/i-knew-right-then-and-there-it-was-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-milli/)

[Rob Pilatus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-pilatus/)

> [I was always pretty broad. I've had a couple bad experiences. One time, I showed up late for a gig in Brooklyn at an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-swardson/i-was-always-pretty-broad-i-ve-had-a-couple-bad-experiences-one-time/)

[Nick Swardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-swardson/)

> [Maybe this isn't the right thing to say, but I want you to know: When you ran for the stage, I've never been so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/maybe-this-isn-t-the-right-thing-to-say-but-i-want-you-to-know-when/)

[Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/)

> [A railwayman was training to be an actor, but forgot the lines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-dangoor/a-railwayman-was-training-to-be-an-actor-but-forgot-the-lines/)

[Robert D Dangoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-dangoor/)

> [My performances in auditions were so inept that I hardly got any jobs in film or TV. I just could not learn the lines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charley-boorman/my-performances-in-auditions-were-so-inept-that-i-hardly-got-any-jobs/)

[Charley Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charley-boorman/)

> ['iCarly' was one of my first major jobs, actually. I went into that audition and completely failed at it. I completely bombed... I forgot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-moy/icarly-was-one-of-my-first-major-jobs-actually-i-went-into-that/)

[Matthew Moy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-moy/)

> [I had this job at Hollywood Video, and during my worst audition ever, I forgot all of my lines in front of Chuck Lorre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamorne-morris/i-had-this-job-at-hollywood-video-and-during-my-worst-audition-ever-i/)

[Lamorne Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamorne-morris/)

> [I've had terrible, terrible, terrible shows where I just thought, "That was off-key" or I forgot lines or I thought I looked like an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babatunde-adebimpe/i-ve-had-terrible-terrible-terrible-shows-where-i-just-thought-that/)

[Babatunde Adebimpe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babatunde-adebimpe/)

> [“The lake is always east. East is always the lake. Anywhere else he's ever been he never knows where he is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-orner/the-lake-is-always-east-east-is-always-the-lake-anywhere-else-he-s/)

[Peter Orner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-orner/)

> [“They are the largest collection of freshwater lakes in the world. They border eight U.S. states and the Canadian Providence of Ontario and at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-magsamen/they-are-the-largest-collection-of-freshwater-lakes-in-the-world-they/)

[Susan Magsamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-magsamen/)

> [If you looked down to the bottom of my soul, you would understand fully the source of my longing and – pity me. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-looked-down-to-the-bottom-of-my-soul-you-would-understand/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Near the lake where drooped the willow, Long time ago!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pope-morris/near-the-lake-where-drooped-the-willow-long-time-ago/)

[George Pope Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pope-morris/)

> [You will find a spring by the dwelling of the dead, to the left. Next to it stands a white cypress. Do not approach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustaw-herling-grudzinski/you-will-find-a-spring-by-the-dwelling-of-the-dead-to-the-left-next/)

[Gustaw Herling-Grudzinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustaw-herling-grudzinski/)

> [“Holy gods. He'd frozen the whole damn lake. He was THAT powerful?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/holy-gods-he-d-frozen-the-whole-damn-lake-he-was-that-powerful/)

[Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/)

> [It's a very familiar type of place where people either go to their house on the lake or they get together in different places.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/it-s-a-very-familiar-type-of-place-where-people-either-go-to-their/)

[Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/)

## More by Julian Barratt

> [People can see that we are part of a tradition of absurd comedy, stretching from Spike Milligan and Peter Cook through to Monty Python…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/people-can-see-that-we-are-part-of-a-tradition-of-absurd-comedy/)

[Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/)

> [I want to create a world where all the rules are different. It should be magical to enter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/i-want-to-create-a-world-where-all-the-rules-are-different-it-should/)

[Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/)

> [We're so insecure, comedians. 'Did you laugh? Do you think I was funny?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/we-re-so-insecure-comedians-did-you-laugh-do-you-think-i-was-funny/)

[Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/)

> [Sport doesn't do anything for me. And I don't do anything for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/sport-doesn-t-do-anything-for-me-and-i-don-t-do-anything-for-it/)

[Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/)

> [The profession is rife with fear about your age, about your validly, longevity, appearance. It's vanity, and it's hard to sort of avoid all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/the-profession-is-rife-with-fear-about-your-age-about-your-validly/)

[Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/)

> [The secret of comedy is don't grow up. That's why some comedians are a nightmare, because they never grow up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/the-secret-of-comedy-is-don-t-grow-up-that-s-why-some-comedians-are-a/)

[Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/)

> [I don't do stand-up anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/i-don-t-do-stand-up-anymore/)

[Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/)

> [I want to do things or write things that make people feel a bit more beautiful or tragic or something because there are so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/i-want-to-do-things-or-write-things-that-make-people-feel-a-bit-more/)

[Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/)

> [I remember films I made at university, which are unbelievably pretentious. Poetry that I'd written that I delivered to camera, against a Venetian blind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/i-remember-films-i-made-at-university-which-are-unbelievably/)

[Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/)

> [Writing can make you feel a bit psychotic. You create a world, and you're sitting inside it all day long, talking to people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/writing-can-make-you-feel-a-bit-psychotic-you-create-a-world-and-you/)

[Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/)

> [I like the countryside. I like chopping wood. I'd like to be a carpenter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/i-like-the-countryside-i-like-chopping-wood-i-d-like-to-be-a-carpenter/)

[Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/)

> [I could say I'm a writer or that I'm a musician but I don't really do music; I do music to go with things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/i-could-say-i-m-a-writer-or-that-i-m-a-musician-but-i-don-t-really-do/)

[Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/)

> [I was in a band called Groove Solution. Because there was a groove crisis, and we solved it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/i-was-in-a-band-called-groove-solution-because-there-was-a-groove/)

[Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/)

> [We should send a load of bad celebrities to colonise Mars. They would have to mate in space, and then their children would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/we-should-send-a-load-of-bad-celebrities-to-colonise-mars-they-would/)

[Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/)

> [The acting life can be quite scary, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/the-acting-life-can-be-quite-scary-really/)

[Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/)

[Explore all 75 Julian Barratt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/)

## More Building quotes

> [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/)

[Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/)

> [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/)

[Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/)

> [Surely, if Mother Nature had been consulted, she would never have consented to building a city in New Orleans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-zuckerman/surely-if-mother-nature-had-been-consulted-she-would-never-have/)

[Mortimer Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-zuckerman/)

> [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/)

[David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/)

> [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/)

[Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/)

> [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/)

[Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/)

> [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/)

[Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/)

> [I'd like to play Ian Paisley, actually. I'd need building up, though he's very frail now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/i-d-like-to-play-ian-paisley-actually-i-d-need-building-up-though-he/)

[Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/)

> [Death is but an aspect of life, and the destruction of one material form is but a prelude to building up of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-but-an-aspect-of-life-and-the-destruction-of-one-material/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/)

[Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/)

> [As for the forces, electromagnetism and gravity we experience in everyday life. But the weak and strong forces are beyond our ordinary experience. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/as-for-the-forces-electromagnetism-and-gravity-we-experience-in/)

[Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/)

> [I'm 30. I'm about to hit my prime now. I need to act and keep building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillian-whyte/i-m-30-i-m-about-to-hit-my-prime-now-i-need-to-act-and-keep-building/)

[Dillian Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillian-whyte/)

> [The essential functions of the mind consist in understanding and in inventing, in other words, in building up structures by structuring reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/the-essential-functions-of-the-mind-consist-in-understanding-and-in/)

[Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/)

> [Practically every time I speak up at a school conference, a political event, or my apartment building association's annual meeting, I'm met with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/practically-every-time-i-speak-up-at-a-school-conference-a-political/)

[Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/)

[Browse all 5,974 Building quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I ran off stage at my first gig. Halfway through it, I forgot my lines and didn't know what to do, so I just ran out of the building down towards a lake. I was going to throw myself in, but the compere came out and said, 'No, it's going well, come back and finish the gig!'",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Julian Barratt"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/i-ran-off-stage-at-my-first-gig-halfway-through-it-i-forgot-my-lines/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Building"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/i-ran-off-stage-at-my-first-gig-halfway-through-it-i-forgot-my-lines/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/853/julian-barratt-9101_building_i-ran-off-stage-at-my-first-gig-halfway_2239232.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/853/julian-barratt-9101_building_i-ran-off-stage-at-my-first-gig-halfway_2239232.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/853/julian-barratt-9101_building_i-ran-off-stage-at-my-first-gig-halfway_2239232.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I ran off stage at my first gig. Halfway through it, I forgot my lines and didn't know what to do, so I just…” — Julian Barratt",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Julian Barratt",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I ran off stage at my...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/i-ran-off-stage-at-my-first-gig-halfway-through-it-i-forgot-my-lines/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/i-ran-off-stage-at-my-first-gig-halfway-through-it-i-forgot-my-lines/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
