mostly david ephgrave

Here's a little video message from Glyn and me to thank everyone who's donated to the JustGiving page to protect Hitchin Mostly Comedy from closure due to the coronavirus crisis; we're not out of the metaphorical woods yet, but the extraordinary generosity of the club's fanbase has certainly bolstered our chances to keep it going. If you haven't donated yet, don't be shy, as - to use that tired, old phrase - every little helps; throw your bunce in the direction of this link...

We've had so many lovely messages from everyone who's donated to protect Mostly Comedy through its enforced break. At the point of writing, fifty-eight people have contributed to the fund , raising £1340, which is enough to pull us through the current crisis for a good few months at least. Without it, the risk of closure pressed worryingly, which put me in the frightening position of losing my income overnight. As it stands, I won't be paying myself for a while, but I can at least reimburse a few of the running costs I've been covering from my pocket. But it isn't just about the money, though that's important. It's the evidence of how many people care about the club and would be upset if it went. We knew it was popular as it usually sells well, but as it's grown and its audience has changed through the years, you start to assume it's just a commodity that serves a purpose at time-of-use and that's it. And if it closed, people would make...

Today, I did a blink-and-you'll-miss-it interview for BBC Three Counties to tell the story of my Edinburgh predicament, which came about as a result of yesterday's article on the BBC News website. Again, it's nice that people are actively taking an interest and it's good to be able to talk about my dad on air, although, as with all these press things, you quickly become a little detached when recounting a story regularly. But the nub of the matter is still painful and not something I've even begun to come to terms with yet; it's easy to forget this temporarily when you're in the swing of promoting something like fundraising for Edinburgh. It's the little details that get you. Today, I looked at the picture of us both together at the top of the BBC article when the bleak thought entered my head that my dad's face isn't anywhere anymore, other than in me, I guess. Then there was a more mundane moment when I started thinking about the lease on m...

After much mulling over, I set up a Just Giving page yesterday, in the hope of pulling together some of the money needed for this year's Edinburgh show. I'm still torn about what to do in the wake of all the difficult family stuff that's been going on, which is magnified by my Edinburgh stress, the loss of my dad and my PIP having stopped. If I'm honest, I don't feel I've picked myself up since my mood dropped soon after last year's Fringe and I haven't written anything of note since; I don't really know why that happened, other than potentially being a symbol of my frustration that I'd put together the show I was proudest of for it to sink without a trace (although this was more to do with the time of day I was on and the oversaturation of the Fringe than anything. After much internal and external debate, I set up the crowd-funding page yesterday afternoon; a number of people on Twitter suggested it as a possibility - something I'd alway...