Kate Chruscicka had already read Cabaret Secrets and had already started working as a Guest Entertainer on ships. She wasn't getting the reaction she felt she deserved so booked a half day one-on-one consultancy with me.

I met guitarist Matt Wolfe and vocalist Lainie Munro onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship while they were working in the production shows. They wanted to create their own guest entertainer and had already read Cabaret Secrets.

When Georgina reached out to me she was already a respected singer and trumpet player. She wanted to create a show especially for cruise ships and now she's travelling the world doing what she loves.

We artists love to create. We get inspired and we go to work. Our latest project is always the most exciting and it’s easy to assume that everyone will agree that our newest album, show, song, or whatever, is just what the world's been waiting for. That is, until we share our new masterpiece with the world and other than a few likes on Facebook, nothing much happens and the world moves swiftly onto the next new, shiny thing.

Once we have learned the building blocks of our art (singing, painting, photography, whatever) there is a period in the careers of most artists when we are struggling to break through and make a name for ourselves. We are lost in the woods, looking a way out. We want to go from a student to a star as quickly as possible but my advice is to relax and make the most of our time in obscurity.

If you’re creating a show with a partner, first decide whether you’re actually doing the show together or whether you’re just tolerating each other.

It’s been my pleasure to spend a week teaching cabaret to the musical theatre students from the Guildford School of Acting. I think this is the only course of its kind in the UK and I’m delighted to be a part of it.

There are two main routes into cabaret: musical theatre and singing in bars or piano lounges. Each requires their own skill set but for a successful transition into cabaret, some of those hard-earned skills will need to be left in the wings.

I’ve often said that performing is all about truth. The best shows are when the performer cuts the crap, stops being what they think the audience want them to be, and starts being themselves.

Come in, do your job and go. Really, no one has the time or energy to deal with your diva crap.

If you possibly can, only travel with hand luggage. You’ll have loads of time and more importantly you know your bags will make it to their destination.

What’s your USP? Have you got a Unique Sales Point? Something that sets you apart from the crowd?

As music streaming sites have grown, CD sales have fallen. Many people, including myself, don’t even own a CD player anymore. Why bother when you can listen to just about anything ever recorded, for free, online? As a user it’s great but as a music maker, it’s a disaster.

A show - the kind of thing a professional cabaret singer is aiming to create - is a complete piece of theatre in itself.

I get a lot of questions from singers about how to order musical arrangements for their show. I've been commissioning arrangements for over 20 years and now have had over 500 for all sorts of bands from jazz trio, big band and full orchestra. Most have been for working on cruise ships and I have learned by my mistakes the best way to go about it. Here's how I do it.

I met vocalist Javier onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. He's blessed with an amazing voice but until recently hadn't done anything with it. He was already in the process of creating his own show when he reached out for help. 

Today on BBC Radio 4 I heard a fascinating programme called 'Charisma - Pinning Down the Butterfly'. Click here to listen again and reveal the mystery of the X factor.

There are two ways an audience can really show their appreciation: give you a standing ovation and buy a CD. One's good for your ego, the other pays your bar bill.

If you're stuck with something, I'd love to help. I am available to hire for private consultancy and training but if you have a quick question about your show, click Read More and post it as a comment. I will do my best to answer it, free of charge.