I’m managing to still enjoy myself at the Fringe at this late stage, which feels like a
triumph when I consider the emotional roller-coaster of some of my previous
fringe experiences.
That’s not to say
I’m not tired, frustrated and often riddled with self-doubt, as this is all par-for-the-course. At point of writing I’ve only had one reviewer in - who came
today in fact - and a nonplussed agent, and am starting to wonder if this might be my
lot, but despite any perceived setbacks, my mood has been predominantly good; I’m still
having fun performing and haven’t gone dead behind the eyes or
resorted to phoning it in just yet, which is great when I know how susceptible to these things I can be.
Staying well at the Fringe is delicate balancing act that can easily topple to wrong way if not kept
gently in check. Even discussing it can feel like a risk. The trick for me has
been to not take it too seriously and to keep the festival at arm’s length. I’m
eating healthily, haven’t taken on too much and haven't had many late nights,
which is advisable when my show starts at midday. Most importantly
of all, I meditate regularly and try to approach everything mindfully and not
put myself in situations that are likely to trigger any negativity I have the
capacity to control. Tiredness and a punishing schedule often go hand in hand
with low mood, but as long as I remain gentle with myself within the context
of what's an inevitably challenging environment, I’ll come out the other side
relatively content with whatever unfolds. Let’s face it: things could be
a lot worse; we could have a maniac in the White House who behaves irrationally and has a propensity for overusing exclamation marks.
(Oh SHIT.)