Tuesday's the Day.


Today’s show was another fun one, which was just what I needed after arriving at the venue this morning feeling very tired and lacking in energy.

It started a little awkwardly, with just three people in who were all sat on one side of the room, leading to me christening the performance early on as the Crick in the Neck Experience, before another couple snuck in a few minutes into the show and sat on the other side, thus giving my eye-line a greater sense of balance; no need to call a chiropractor just yet.

Without wishing to tempt fate so early on into the game, I’m really enjoying the show at the moment; I’m happier with it than I was with last year’s at this stage and I think the content’s stronger. I’m using the projector more and I think there’s a little more variety to it, what with the songs and the like. One thing I did like was last year’s ending, which tied a lot of the material together; while this year’s ending’s simpler, it's okay too. I’m not saying there aren’t things I’d change - I’m still making adjustments as I go - but the crux of it is it’s fun to perform, which can only be a good thing.

I think what’s changed most is my attitude towards it. For one, I’m getting more used to performing alone; the first solo show I did in Brighton and Camden in 2015 had a greater feeling of weight to it, purely because it was my first attempt at filling an hour on my own and I perhaps tried too hard to do something different to the style of stand-up I’d done with my double act; it was more story-driven and less visual. Last year’s first trek to Edinburgh by myself was a huge step but surprisingly enjoyable nevertheless, and this one comes with a tiny - if still fragile - increase in confidence; I’m starting to forge a path on my own and am becoming more comfortable with my comedic voice. It’s still hard and sometimes lonely, but I’m approaching it lightly and not overly labouring it; it doesn’t have to be taken too seriously and it doesn’t have to take up every moment of my day. If I’m having fun that will hopefully translate to the audience; what I love about it is how every show is different, and it’s the little moments that crop up without warning that make it exciting. Now, I could just do with a few more people through the door, but the fact I’m even getting what I am now is great when you consider the stupendous amount of competition you have on the Edinburgh Fringe; it’s amazing anyone comes at all when there’s so much choice.

Popular posts from this blog

Shakerpuppetmaker.

Image
Have Parker from Thunderbirds and Noel Gallagher ever been seen in the same room? The resemblance is uncanny. So much so, I think something’s afoot. If my suspicions are correct, I've stumbled across a secret that will blow the music and puppet industry wide apart. In the mid-60s / mid-90s at least. It doesn’t take long to see the signposts. There’s the similarity between the name of Oasis’ first single, Supersonic, and Supermarianation, Gerry Anderson’s puppetry technique. The Gallagher brothers would often wear Parkas . Live Forever was clearly a reference to Captain Scarlet and Standing on the Shoulder of Giants to the size difference between Noel and his bandmates. The more you think about it, the more brazen it gets. It’s fishier than Area 51, Paul is Dead and JFK's assassination put together. The only glitch to the theory is scale . According to Wikipedia, Anderson’s marionettes were 1’10” and Gallagher is 5’8”. How does he maintain an illusion of avera
Read more

Stevenage: A (Tiny) River Runs Through it.

If ever a river was mis-sold, it’s the Roaring Meg in Stevenage. I just walked past it on my way to the retail park that has taken its name. They’re similarly uninspiring. The river is less of a roar and more of a dribble; cystitis sufferers produce greater flow. The retail park is soulless. What was once a thriving enterprise is nearly devoid of atmosphere, save an underlying essence of emptiness and despair. With a Toys R Us. When it was first built I was excited. Back then, the thought of a bowling alley, an ice rink, a Harvester and a Blockbuster Video within a small surface area was enticing. I celebrated many birthdays on site. There was an indoor cricket pitch there for a while where I once had a joint party with a friend. Why someone with an almost pathological fear of sport would agree to such a venture is beyond me, but I did it. Now, there’s very little at the Roaring Meg of note. The river would be a metaphor for the shopping ce
Read more

Hoo-ray and up She Rises.

So much has happened since my last post in March that this blog risks sounding like an itinerary. The main news is that Hitchin Mostly Comedy will return in the summer at a new venue, the Queen Mother Theatre . The road to this decision was convoluted, though enough fell into place en route to leave me optimistic about this new start. The catalyst was a survey I ran via our mailing list a few months back, in which I asked, "If the club returned in the current climate, with tickets still around £15 (and with similar line-ups), would you still attend?"; the response to which, in simple terms, was a resounding yes. Nearly 250 mailing list subscribers responded in a single week, with around a hundred also taking the option to leave some feedback. And only two people were abusive, which counts as a win when you consider they posted their comments online anonymously. Imagine how many more insults we would have received if the comedy club was a woman. Particularly if she was Diane
Read more