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In, Out (and Shake it all About)

Considering we only had just over two hours to set up today’s Mostly Comedy as there was a meeting in the ballroom before us, things came together alarmingly quickly without much stress.

We were so ahead of the game I even had time to get changed before we opened the doors and started letting people in, which never happens. Admittedly, I was still forcing down a pesto pasta salad as the audience started filing in, but it was still a relative luxury; I almost had time left to think.

While tonight was a great gig and was a really good way to kick off our autumn season, it was slightly overshadowed by Glyn’s and my ongoing discussions about what we should do about 4th October’s date we had booked at the Maltings’ Arts Theatre with John Thomson and Jenny Collier. Until we’d made the final decision to move it to Hitchin - which is what we’re going to do - we’d only sold seven tickets, which was nowhere near the amount we need to comfortably cover the cost, and on balance, the best move for us is to take it to the venue that we know we’re more likely to be caple be of selling in a reasonable space of time.

The sticking point is it doesn’t cost us nothing to do what we do, and our overheads are far greater than the amount we pay out in act and staff’s fees, the venue hire and leaflet and flyer distribution. At least moving it to Hitchin gives us a fair crack of the whip for selling it its own right.

Reg onstage in Hitchin tonight.

As for tonight’s gig, it wasn’t just the quick set-up that was notable. Both Reg and Yuriko Kotani were on great form and our stuff went well too. All in all it was a great night; now let’s see if our next two Hitchin shows sell just as well and go just as well too.

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