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A mixed day really. I got up late again, managed to get over to Tesco for another one of their slap-up breakfasts and then headed off to my first show. The show was great and well crafted. However, comedy doesn't usually work well on a lunchtime and Sunday lunchtimes are bound to be slow. I laughed loud and felt that it was a good show.
Off to the Pleasance I went to see the next show. I ran into one of my fellow entrants in the Birmingham Stand and Deliver competition. We were chatted and a lovely young lady appeared, I was introduced and she turned out to be Lucy Porter, whose show was running round the corner. Finding out that it was on at 10pm, I announced that it was an excellent time - this was because I wanted to do a 10pm show that night, before then walking back to the flat to get changed and ready for my 1.30am performance. At this, Lucy offered me a place on the guest list. I pointed out that I'd be taking money from her hands if she did, but she seemed happy with that. Bless her. I graciously accepted. I was also introduced to someone else, and he told me his name, but I already knew it... you see it was a comedian I'd heard off and I managed to stop myself saying "I've seen you on the telly", but only just. I'm also proud to say that I walked past Steve Pemberton (of the league of gentlemen) on North Bridge without harassing him!
I then went to see a show in the lift, which was excellent and quite sweaty. Such an event needed a follow up and this came in the form of Shakespeare's Italian Job - quite a show. I had a conversation in the auditorium with a young Israeli lad. He asked me two questions which made me laugh:
1. Why is there no air conditioning? Because this is Scotland.
2. Is this the Umbilical Brothers? No, it's another show entirely.
He left soon after!
Then I wandered over to my next show, stopping for a wee Starbucks sandwich. Not too filling. Indeed, as I write this I am most starving! The next show was fun, but not as high as my expectations of it. That'll teach me to lower my sights.
Using the walk to the next gig as rehearsal time and time to chat to a friend over my (soon to be astronomically expensive) mobile, I found myself collecting my guest ticket for Lucy Porter's show. I watched her show from the front row and enjoyed it. What a fantastic situation to be in.
After some dull to report events, I eventually arrived at the gig I was due to play. No audience and only one other act. We soon drummed up some sort of audience and two more acts, one of whom was the comedy terrorist - Aaron Barschak. With some trepidation, I even let him use my guitar. Actually, his spoof of Sweet Home Alabama - Sweet Home Al Quaeda - was a song of some depth.
The gig? Well, it was a disaster. Actually the heckles were the best bit. To judge my material on the response would have been stupid. I made some mistakes in the delivery and the choice of songs to end on, but it was a flat evening. I still made the most of it and kept it going - so I learned from it. But, I didn't come off on a high.
In the bar afterwards, I made friends with my hecklers and we had drinks and dancing into the small hours. I even danced with the comedy terrorist - cheek to cheek, of course. This was because we were asked to stop slow dancing with the chairs we'd picked up. I hasten to add, that I started the dancing with chairs and Mr B copied me. My chair was a kiddies' plastic one, which seemed harmless. Perhaps it was his full-sized one which caused the concern.
Chatting into the small hours and walking a troupe of performers home, I didn't arrive back until it was pretty much light, which is why I'm now sitting at 3pm writing this diary, rather than spending my time and money watching performances. I'm not exhausted... yet!
One interesting offer came up last night. I was asked to co-write a song with the techie who made me and my guitar sound good on the stage last night. The lyrics arrived by email this morning and I've already set them to music. I've got to make a CD of this tune for a band to listen to and learn how to play - hopefully I'll hear them do it. I've not heard a song of mine played by someone else before.
Show: Stand up: The Musical
Performed by: Three chaps - I can't remember
When: 14:30
Where: The Stand
Cost: £6
Pretending to be an ex boy band, three character-style comedians played some spoof songs and did some stand-up around the music industry. It was jolly good fun and there were some good belly laughs. The lead singer was an excellent pastiche merchant and his Oasis and Robbie Williams spoofs had depth, choosing to capture the style and take it forward naturally, rather than just bandy the cliches. I think their Oasis spoof was actually a Beatles spoof turned into an Oasis song, which is a clever twist.
Charming show, bad time of the week to see it. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Show: Speed Date
Performed by: John Mawer
When: 17:00
Where: 5065 Lift
Cost: £3.50
Excellent. You witness one man talking to 10 women on a speed date event. The women are not present, but you hear his side of the conversation. It was funny, cleverly scripted with running gags and a growing sense of the nature of meeting people in a contrived situation. It went down really well with the audience and I enjoyed it thoroughly. It was also good to hear a familiar, albeit disembodied, voice on the introduction.
Show: Shakespeare's Italian Job
Performed by: Malachi Bogdanov?
When: 18:00
Where: Gilded Balloon Teviot
Cost: £11
Well... three mini coopers on a stage. A cast of people using Shakespearian quotes extensively, in Shakespearian situations, around the plot of the Italian job. It could have been a disaster. It was largely incomprehensible, but incredibly entertaining. Lot of comedy of recognition when they got to quotes you recognised... I came out impressed and feeling like I should have read the entire works of Shakespeare a few times before watching it. I think they tried to avoid making easy Shakespearian spoof.
However, it wasn't completely incomprehensible and the visual aspects of the performance made up for the failings of the uneducated audience member. The cars were the stars. Each car had a series of devices built in for different scenes. One car could be raised a few feet above the stage. Another one's front grill came out as a restaurant table and so on. Plus each car served as a mini-backstage area. People popped into a car and could not be seen (curtains inside). The scenes unfolded in a such a way that you tended to forget which actor was in which car, meaning that people seemed to just appear from the cars as if by magic.
Loads of set pieces and enough references to the Italian job to make it seem as funny as its title promised. "Thou wast commanded only to blast off the bloody portals!".
Show: Mindbender
Performed by: Peepolykus
When: 20:00
Where: Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Suite
Cost: £10
I was impressed by some of this, but overall the show seemed a bit flat. Lots of gags about having a stooge in the audience, but not hugely funny. There was one trick which was very impressive, where the "mind bender" managed to identify a word chosen apparently at random by an audience member - he told another audience member where to find this word (page and line) in a dictionary. Obviously an illusion, but clever.
Still good fun, but a bit gentle for that time slot.
Show: Lucy Porter
Performed by: Lucy Porter
When: 22:00
Where: Smirnoff Underbelly - White Belly
Cost: £0
I was told that I'd fall in love with Lucy Porter. I think I did. She is a lovely and captivating performer whom you can't help but adore. She did an hour's performance on the subject of lying and I found myself realising how truthful I really am.
It was a very funny and charming performance with a good audience response. Highly worth seeing!
Spent £30.50, saw 5 shows and performed in 1. At the day's end:
Total shows seen: 26
Total shows performed: 5
Total spent: £164.50
11 August 2003
Ashley Frieze