With the current coronavirus crisis progressing as it is, it was nigh on inevitable that we'd cancel next week's Hitchin Mostly Comedy; it wouldn't have been responsible to go ahead, irrespective of whether the government's banning public gatherings yet.
The question is: what happens, from here on in? If the virus continues to spread, theatres, venues and the entertainment industry as a whole will grind to a halt, as may be necessary for public safety, but what might be a luxury item for the audience is a way of life for those who work in it. And in the same way that heightened terrorist activity or economic crises often lead to poor turnout, the fear of contracting COVID-19 could potentially decimate the number of people going out.
Short-term, postponing next week's gig was the right thing to do all around. Firstly, ticket-sales were already down, presumably for the same reason, with the show nowhere near to breaking even with less than seven days to go. And while we'd make a loss, either way, that loss is minimised by pushing the show on, both in terms of having more time to sell with a potentially decreased risk.
But what will happen in the months ahead? The minimum outgoing for a cancelled gig is the hire fee for the venue, but there are other running costs to cover, including our office rent. I've already been putting in a fair amount of my money to keep the club afloat recently, and it looks like I'll have to do more still to keep it alive, which also means not paying myself too.
But it's not just losing Mostly that worries me: what about the Edinburgh Fringe? The nature of the festival - with its dingy venues and population influx - makes it very vulnerable to cancellation, with a potentially huge knock-on effect. A lot of money changes hands for it to happen and a lot of that money could be lost: I've already started paying for my digs, venue and to register my show, with a lot more due in the coming weeks. And I'm just one of many. But having lost money last year when I had to pull my show last-minute, I'd sooner not have similar problems this time too). Plus I'm also doing the Bath and Brighton Fringe in the lead-up, which could also be hit by the pandemic.
Having said all of that, I know people's health is the priority, and it's frightening to think how many lives could be lost. But the impact on the economy will be massive too. So forgive me while I wash my sore, chapped hands for the forty-seventh time today and hope for the best.