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Woke up early enough to make my first diarised show. However, having made a big deal about how Edinburgh is a walking city, I then realised that I had the entire city to cross on foot in less than an hour and so drove. Given that I'm parking for free in the North East of the city and parked for free at the venue in the South West, I think you'll get an idea that I really wasn't being lazy. I then left my car in town for my afternoon shows, which was not too costly.
Lunch was a Starbucks sandwich between shows and evening meal was another couple of sandwiches. Nutrition not high on the list. Equally, eating sins were skilfully avoided. Actually, I lie - I had a chocolate muffin waiting for the Oxford Revue - I'm so naughty! Spank me! Spank me now!
My performing debut (in some ways) was as MC for The Establishment. I have never stood on a stage in a busy bar and tried to do comedy to an audience too busy talking to care, or too drunk to get what I was saying. A few small laughs and a very tough gig. I introduced the other comic, whom I sandwiched in between two parts of my act... I'm not sure if I failed to get the audience up for it - or whether they were beyond getting up for anything (except more beer). I think the comedian in question had a bad gig - he stormed off the stage after calling the audience a bunch of F***ing C***s... I walked back on with my guitar and no real idea of what would happen. Like a prat I forgot to turn my tape recorder on, so I've no idea what happened. I'll say this, though. I got through to them in some way... and I enjoyed it. We had a sort of sing song. I did some comedy songs, which got their attention, got some laughs and made me feel like a cheap cabaret act. I'll try to write some more comedy songs for next time - I quite enjoyed the gig in a perverse way.
Actually, one of the highlights of this gig was finding out afterwards that we were being heckled... by a reviewer. While on the stage I could hear a certain quantity of dissenting murmurs, but the audience were not reacting to them and so I didn't waste time and focus on them. Apparently the reviewer was going to give the gig a slating. It's a good job I introduced myself as Bernard Manning.
After schmoozing around to enjoy the post-comedy haze and the excellent band - Liam and the lost dogs, I wandered back, stopping to play if you're happy and you know it clap your hands with a couple of middle-aged drunk ladies, and stopping to play a couple of songs to a young lady who gave me my best audience so far as she sat on a bench and listened to one comic and one straight song which I played at her request. I don't see myself as a travelling minstrel, but if the cap fits. [2004 - update - here's the story of what happened]
Anyway, I saw a bunch of shows:
Show: A Funny Thing Happened on The Way to the Forum
Performed by: Kingswood High School, Texas
When: 10:40
Where: Church Hill Theatre
Cost: £6
The kids of this show gave their all and it was great. Superb comic timing, choreography - loads of energy. I've never seen the original show - a pseudo Shakespearian farce - but in this version I enjoyed it immensely. It was interesting to see how they staged it - fixed set (though that may be in the show anyway) and musical accompaniment from a piano and a bell. Some excellent individual performances and an overall high standard. Magic!
Show: John Hegley's Packed Lunch
Performed by: John Hegley
When: 12:30
Where: Assembly Rooms, Wildman
Cost: £11
John Hegley was a favourite last year and he delivered this year too. Starting with a funny visual joke and a couple of crap puns, his usual brand of quirky poetry and music was fun and in some ways moving too. I bought his book afterwards, which he signed. Not as good as the portrait he gave me last year, but still an item to be treasured. The book was the one relating to last year's show. Perhaps I'm starting a tradition here.
Show: The Lost Laugh
Performed by: The Oxford Revue
When: 15:00
Where: Gilded Balloon Caves 1
Cost: £7.50
The revue will improve as they become more accustomed to doing it and edit out the bits that don't fit their audience. In its initial and slightly raw state it had some fun set pieces and some excellent highs. It needed to run more smoothly and some of the humour was not pitched at the audience, but instead at some high god of humour that noone else had heard of... but I still enjoyed it. Some classic Oxonian-style monologues, worthy of repeating outside of the fringe.
Show: Sarah Kendall
Performed by: Sarah Kendall
When: 20:30
Where: Gilded Balloon Voltaire
Cost: £4
Somehow I got the ticket at half price - two for one day... but I only bought one. Weird! Anyway, Sarah was a joy. She's funny, intelligent, beautiful and thought provoking... but it's still just jokes! Thank goodness for that. The audience were a little reserved but I thought she had a good show and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I'd heard much of it before when she played the Iguana Bar in Chorlton (with me in a wee open spot) but it was funnier the second time - a good sign of a good joke.
Spent £28.50, saw 4 shows. At the day's end:
Total shows seen: 4
Total shows performed: 1
Total spent: £28.50
06 August 2003
Ashley Frieze