Warming Up

Thursday 10th February 2005

The reviews for the show have come out with uncommon haste and are all really good. Although in my heart I know this shouldn't make me feel any differently about the show, I am only human and it makes the whole thing seem worthwhile and vindicates my decision to do another run.
There were three reviews today: in the Standard (on a day when they got a massive scoop about the forthcoming Royal Wedding so hopefully lots of people saw it), in the Spectator and on one of my favourite websites, Chortle ( see it here )
Let's ignore the fact that the Spectator review is written by Toby Young (who you no doubt will remember was in my crew in the false boat race) and concentrate instead on the fact that he calls Stewart Lee a "genius" and then still says that I am the "more talented" of the two of us. Which I think makes me an uber-genius. That is certainly what I will be putting on the poster. I am so much of a genius that I go all the way round past infinity and come out stupid again. That's how clever I am.
Alas these reviews did not have any immediate effect on audience numbers. I played to a small but enthusiastic crowd tonight, but I am enjoying the show nonetheless. An uber-genius is never recognised in his own life-time. Except by Toby Young. He is the wisest fool in Christendom.
I cut more stuff, but it was still at least 95 minutes long, so I think I'll probably introduce an interval for the remaining tour.