Small, Yet Perfectly Formed.
By rights, a show to four people (with
one from the Comedy Awards panel) shouldn't be fun, but today’s was, as well as being possibly
my favourite so far (although the first show probably got the most vocal reaction).
Mere seconds before I was due to start, it looked like I’d either have to cancel or do the show one-on-one to the comedy awards’ judge, which isn’t something I’d do in any other instance and would only have done today if (1) he’d been comfortable with it and (2) couldn’t guarantee someone from the panel would be able to come another day. I was just asking his opinion when the other punters suddenly appeared and saved the day, and what made it even better was they'd paid for their tickets and weren’t brandishing the papering comps I'd instructed my flyerers to hand out…so that’s money in the bank (albeit only just double-figures).
Such a small audience is a tough proposition, particularly when they chose to sit close enough to the stage to force me into a very low-status eye-line. I went so far as to voice this at the top; pointing out how I had to make an executive decision over whether to play it all to them directly or as if there were more people in the room; in the end I went for a compromise and glanced at my technician occasionally too.
The small house forced me into being conversational, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing considering the subject matter. It was particularly gratifying to see them nod along during the section on bad reviews (which felt the most honest I’ve delivered it; it can be hit and miss with that part of the show, as it’s the least written and most left-to-chance). They also seemed to enjoy the songs, which was probably assisted by the best sound of the run so far (which was no doubt due to the room’s technical supervisor running the desk today).
While today’s show was enjoyable - and I’ve enjoyed the entire run, bar the afternoon when the gear failed with a reviewer in attendance - I still feel pretty unenthused about being here this year. I think it’s mostly tiredness, combined with a weariness with the uphill struggle of the whole Fringe experience when you're working here alone (although it’s enough to make you weary with company too). I know by some acts’ standards it’s nothing, but three years running in the same early time slot has been pretty intense. This year’s show is the most different of the four I’ve done and more honest by a long chalk, but outside of performing it, I’m definitely suffering from a case of Edinburgh fatigue.
I think this is massively affected by my walk to the venue, which is longer than usual and almost entirely along a busy main road. I much preferred staying closer to the venue and heading away from the festival as I walked home. A large chunk is also uphill, which is the final insult after sweating my arse off in my show. It’s not that I don’t like my digs this time (although I wish the sofa was more comfortable); I just prefer my usual location. Perhaps I should invest in a Segway to make the journey less arduous; it’d be tax deductible too, which is basically win-win.
Mere seconds before I was due to start, it looked like I’d either have to cancel or do the show one-on-one to the comedy awards’ judge, which isn’t something I’d do in any other instance and would only have done today if (1) he’d been comfortable with it and (2) couldn’t guarantee someone from the panel would be able to come another day. I was just asking his opinion when the other punters suddenly appeared and saved the day, and what made it even better was they'd paid for their tickets and weren’t brandishing the papering comps I'd instructed my flyerers to hand out…so that’s money in the bank (albeit only just double-figures).
Such a small audience is a tough proposition, particularly when they chose to sit close enough to the stage to force me into a very low-status eye-line. I went so far as to voice this at the top; pointing out how I had to make an executive decision over whether to play it all to them directly or as if there were more people in the room; in the end I went for a compromise and glanced at my technician occasionally too.
The small house forced me into being conversational, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing considering the subject matter. It was particularly gratifying to see them nod along during the section on bad reviews (which felt the most honest I’ve delivered it; it can be hit and miss with that part of the show, as it’s the least written and most left-to-chance). They also seemed to enjoy the songs, which was probably assisted by the best sound of the run so far (which was no doubt due to the room’s technical supervisor running the desk today).
While today’s show was enjoyable - and I’ve enjoyed the entire run, bar the afternoon when the gear failed with a reviewer in attendance - I still feel pretty unenthused about being here this year. I think it’s mostly tiredness, combined with a weariness with the uphill struggle of the whole Fringe experience when you're working here alone (although it’s enough to make you weary with company too). I know by some acts’ standards it’s nothing, but three years running in the same early time slot has been pretty intense. This year’s show is the most different of the four I’ve done and more honest by a long chalk, but outside of performing it, I’m definitely suffering from a case of Edinburgh fatigue.
I think this is massively affected by my walk to the venue, which is longer than usual and almost entirely along a busy main road. I much preferred staying closer to the venue and heading away from the festival as I walked home. A large chunk is also uphill, which is the final insult after sweating my arse off in my show. It’s not that I don’t like my digs this time (although I wish the sofa was more comfortable); I just prefer my usual location. Perhaps I should invest in a Segway to make the journey less arduous; it’d be tax deductible too, which is basically win-win.
