mostly david ephgrave

After five and a half years, Glyn and I have moved to a bigger office on the same premises, which now puts us at the advantage of having room to swing a Bengal tiger. When we took on the first space, we worried if we could justify it, but despite being the size of a modest broom-cupboard (with just enough room to keep a dustpan & brush), we put it to good use; all my solo shows were written and rehearsed there, and the majority of our radio shows were recorded there too, which was a bit of a squeeze for the three of us involved.  It was also a storeroom for our Mostly Comedy gear in-between shows, which pretty much rendered it impossible to run our material there without kissing. (Like that's an excuse.) While it's sad to see it go (admittedly only across the corridor) the move is a positive step that reeks of potential. The new office is actually two rooms - one the size of our original office and another approximately six times bigger - which enables us to ke...

There was something satisfying about taking down last year’s wall planner in Glyn’s and my office today and replacing it with a new one. There couldn’t really be a clearer symbol for wiping the slate clean and starting again. It's like going back to school after the summer holidays and writing your name on the cover of your new rough-book, or being desperate to use your new pen; even though you’d probably soon be over it, at that moment, the term was full of new possibilities and chances to reinvent yourself, like a much less drastic version of the Reggie Perrin opening credits. (I never stripped naked in class, by the way.) I’d be lying if I didn’t say there are some aspects to starting afresh that are intimidating, or even nerve-wracking; for one, I need to get working on a new show. However, putting up that wall planner reminded me was that I’ve still got plenty of time; I don’t need to employ someone to ghostwrite it just yet. ...

This is the first installment of my blog to be written in Doggett & Ephgrave's new office. The room is currently bare, except for a clock that needs a new battery, a cheese & tomato sandwich (which wasn’t part of the deal), a chair, a laptop and me. I carried the chair on foot from my flat, thinking it wouldn’t be heavy, then regretted my decision almost instantly. (At least I had something to sit on if I got tired.) I’m excited about what our new office represents. It feels like we’re taking ourselves seriously. It'll be great to have a base from which to work on our various collective projects (which will double as a crack den). We’ll kit it out properly when Glyn returns from his holiday. Until then, I intend to stay in the room 24/7, to be sure that I get my money’s worth. I’d better leave a window open, so I don’t run out of oxygen.

Today, me and Glyn looked at a small office in Hitchin that we might start to rent. I’m very excited about the prospect. It'd be great to finally have our own workspace. For too long, we’ve made do with meeting at each other’s houses, or cadging a room at the Hitchin Youth Trust or the Market Theatre. Wherever we go, we always feel in the way. Having our own office will be a definite step up. I love the idea of being able to go there whenever I want, to write, rehearse or catch up on admin, and then closing the door at the end of the day and leaving it behind. It’d almost be like having a proper job (God forbid). The room is small, but cheap. I'm sure it will be big enough for us. It's not as if we need to swing a cat.  We could put a few of our old posters up on the wall. We might even buy a pot plant. Our transition to adulthood is nearly complete.  I really hope we do it.