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After a lovely half-term holiday (at least from gigging), this week is shaping up to be super busy again and started with an afternoon trip to Leicester to do RHLSTP at the comedy festival. The Leicester Comedy Festival is brilliant, much too good for the king stealing people of this city, but packed with great shows and I was lucky to be talking to two of the UK's greatest comedy mavericks Phil Ellis and Simon Munnery. It's a shame (in some ways) that TV hasn't found a way to transfer their individual styles to their medium, but equally it's great to have them still creating stupid comedy, clever comedy, art and nonsense still. I'm just sad that more people don't know about them, but then again as a comedy fan I like that I know stuff that most people don't. I know you feel the same, keeping me as your dirty little secret and ensuring I never achieve the star status I deserve. It's definitely your fault and not mine. Though I can't make myself feel better by saying that I am an innovative comedy genius. I get nothing here.
The trip to Leicester was easy enough, only complicated by the fact that for some reason I thought Bec was picking me up at 1.30pm (even though my show started at 3.30) and being in the bath when she arrived. Fortunately I had already made myself some chilli for lunch (and dinner) and so could still it in a flask and we only left about 10 minutes late.
Terrific staff and audience at the Y Theatre and another two strong shows for broadcast in August! Even with using some of the live podcasts as book club podcasts we will have enough shows to last until at least October, so I will try to use some of them up by doing another Edinburgh Fringe season (without going to the Fringe) with podcasts from guests who are foolish enough to attend the festival this year -which includes both of today's guests (I mean this week's and next week's). I will find a way to have to be back in the theatres by the autumn.
The best thing about the shows was that the chairs we'd been given by the festival made an impressive woofing sound when you sat on them hard. It was like a built in whoopee cushion. The noise shocked me so much in the second record that I had to check that a dog hadn't got in and thought that Simon Munnery might have gone (more) mad and had decided to do the whole show in barks. But his chair did it too and we considered making the whole podcast just us making fart and dog noises. Luckily we got some stories too. Simon is a remarkable man and brilliant comedian and whilst it might be good for him and his finances if he was better known, I am delighted he lives in poverty and only the cool kids know about him. Because I am one of those.
Afternoon gigs might be the way for the future. I was home by 8pm and saw the kids and had some dinner (I eschewed my second flask of chilli, but it will last til tomorrow).
Only nine shows to go. (though in the coming few days I have a Ball Back preview, a corporate stand up set, some very early morning radio interviews and two more RHLSTPs. Fucking Hell)
