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The news is out. After a couple of years away I am returning to the Edinburgh Fringe this year.
But Rich, I thought you said you were boycotting the Fringe because it was so expensive that you couldn't understand who could afford to go and see stuff any more or how any non-millionaire comedians could get the funds to perform there.
I never said any such thing.
All right, I said something similar, though more succinctly, but it wasn't a boycott. I just said I was going to take a break from it - as much for my mental health as anything. I found the last time fairly gruelling.
If you read the full blog....
No, I don't want to read the full blog. I know what I think. You're a hypocrite.
Well maybe a bit. Though I took time off in the past too, like when I lost £50,000 in 2014. And if it makes you feel any better I didn't really want to come up this time, but Catie is doing a show and the kids are at a good age for it now and sometimes you have to put your family ahead of your own wishes or beliefs.
Although I am back a bit earlier than planned I was never going to turn my back on the Fringe entirely - I have to at least do a few days of Oh Shit I'm 60! in 2027 (and Oh Smegma I'm 70 in 2037 and Oh Anus I'm 80 in 2047 and Oh Knickers I'm 90 in 2057 and Oh Humbug I'm One Hundred in 2067. After that I will retire though.
I have managed the Fringe entirely avoid it for two years, even when Catie did a few podcast gigs, I still didn't go up. I'm just dipping a toe in and I can do my podcasts, which will help stop it being a total financial disaster. Now Ernie is 7 we might be able to do stuff in the evening and it could be a bit more fun.
As much of a problem as the expense was the fact that after all these years and all the memories this place holds I felt like a fossil being crushed under all those layers of history. As much as the Fringe has been vitally important in my career and as many non-award nominated mild successes as I've had, there has been a lot of depression for me.
Things aren't fixed with financially in Edinburgh or psychologically in my head.
Our tiny two bedroom flat (admittedly very well placed for the Stand) is costing over £500 a night and so Catie and I will have to sell something like 55 tickets a day just to cover accommodation. Which is a lot of tickets.
But my fears that anyone who doesn't live in the area already will find it pretty difficult to justify coming to the Fringe were immediately confirmed. Just Gill on Twitter asked - "Do you have a spare room? Been looking at accommodation and can't justify paying that much no matter how much I want to go back this year."
@sarahstaffie added "When I used to go back in the day I lived in an old couples spare bedroom in Briary Baulks i think it was called, literally next road to Pleasance. Stayed there for five Fringes £30 a night and paid a tenner a show."
So whilst it's not quite like for like, that makes one room in my rented flat over eight times more expensive than it was (presumably) in the 90s, but ticket prices have not inflated at the same level. Mine seemingly gone up by 40% in 30 years. Should we all be charging £80 a ticket. That would be ridiculous, wouldn't it? Only literally everything and everybody else should put up their prices.
I fell in love with this woman watching her do stand up and this new show is her funniest stuff yet. If you have to choose one member of this family to buy a ticket to, choose her!
