Black Wednesday on the Fringe. The legendary day where all 2 for 1 offers end and full price tickets kick in and sales take a dip. And today it was properly pissing down with rain for most of the day as well. As with Sunday I was expecting less people and for them to be sitting there in damp clothes (and not because of the sexual frisson that I give off on stage) and for it to be a tough gig. And things were not helped by the start of the show being delayed. I could sense the atmosphere being sucked out of the room. I had again had to nap before the show and was worried that I might not have the requisite energy, but I am pleased to say that I got out on stage, grabbed the show by its prodigious bollocks and didn't let go for 63 minutes. And whilst there have been more vociferous audiences I think I managed to make these people wake up and forget that they were only minutes away from being re-drenched on the streets of Edinburgh where impressive rivulets were already forming.
Though the whole thing nearly ended nastily as I bowed, stepped back theatrically, caught the heel of my posh shoes in a coil of microphone cable and nearly fell over backwards. That wasn't the kind of death on stage that I had envisaged. Though it would certainly have got a laugh if I had gone over, but I managed to recover my footing and turn the backwards trip into an elaborate dance move. It all demonstrated that I have inherited the family trait of slapstick foolishness which dominates the last story I tell in the show.
The need to write the Radio 4 script is dominating my day and I am very much looking forward to next week when I will only have to do my shows. I didn't get far with it today, despite getting up early. I managed to get to the gym, despite feeling very low in energy before I went, but I realised that I at least had to have a shower before the podcast show and once I was through the door I managed to do a fair amount of exercise. Which helped buoy me up. But more importantly I also managed to snaffle a towel without having to pay a pound. Take that Ian Virgin.
I was annoyed that as I traversed the crowded streets today with my umbrella that I seem to the only umbrella user polite enough to try and look ahead and move my umbrella so it doesn't hit other people's umbrellas or faces. I think in the whole day I spotted one other person who was prepared to move. I was moving my umbrella up and down and from side to side like I was Mary Poppins, or Dick van Dyke with his chimney sweeping brush. Why is everyone apart from me such a selfish cunt. I tried out some Michael Mcintyre style observational comedy about this on the podcast this afternoon, but spoiled my chances of making it on to the show by continually saying cunt.
Today's podcast with the brilliant Glenn Wool covered a lot of other topics from mysterious sexually transmitted diseases and the odd coincidences in our stand up material and the existence of ghosts. Simon Munnery also stepped in to do the stand up slot for which I had failed to book anyone, which was a real honour. There had been some trouble getting the last two on line, but now both today and yesterday's are up
on iTunes (where by some miracle the show remains number one in the podcast chart - so please subscribe if you haven't already) or
The British Comedy Guide. On Thursday the guests will be Dave Gorman and Nick Doody, Friday will be two mystery guests (cos I haven't booked them yet), Saturday is Holly Walsh and Francesca Martinez and Sunday is Sarah Millican and Sara Pascoe. Please
book now.
After this full on day I was going to go to bed for an early night, but instead decided to get drunk and have a curry. Which might actually be the best response to the pressure I am under. I am having a whole lot more fun than I did at last year's non-drinking Fringe. Though I wish this was a dry Fringe in other ways. I am regretting laughing at the bloke up the road who has been building an ark all week now.
Thanks to the people who braved the deluge to make it to tonight's show. I hope you weren't swept away down the hill on your way back home. Some good reviews in (see press page) and tickets selling well for the whole run now, so book ahead if you're coming up folks. And bring an umbrella (and use it with consideration) and a canoe.
