Another day and another three radio shows in the bag -one Andrew Collings show and two Banters (also the Andrew Collings show in a way). It's been quite a busy month and I can't believe that I've managed to pack two radio series into it (even if we recorded the first two TWTTINs in July). Now just the Double Act rewrite to toss off and a couple of gigs (please buy tickets for my Saturday afternoon gig in Brighton and help rectify my stupid error) and a TV pilot on Tuesday and then I can fly off to Africa with a clear conscience.
I sat in the basement of the Starbucks nearest to Broadcasting House this afternoon trying to work out my favourite things a cockney might say, amongst other things. Every now and again I heard an underground train roaring beneath me. London is a strange and multi-layered city. I wondered how far above the roar of the Victoria line this coffee shop basement was. Could I punch through the floor and hang my head through the hole and wave at the driver? Or would I need some kind of massive Thunderbirds style burrowing machine to get down to that level? And would I get in trouble with both London Underground and the manager of Starbucks if I did that?
Yes I probably would.
Banter was lots of fun and the double recording not quite as draining as it's been in the past. I think the second series is even better than the first and it's a rare panel show where people (generally) give you space to do your gags without trying to interrupt or top you too much. I think it starts going out on Wednesday, so do tune in and let me know what you think.
The funniest moment of the night though happened off-stage when Chris Addison returned from a visit to the lavatory with his crotch absolutely soaked by some kind of liquid. He claimed that he'd pushed the tap too far too quickly and been squirted that way, but I will allow you to decide if that was the case. It couldn't have ahppened at a worse moment as we were about to go on stage and he had no way of drying his shirt and trousers or of changing. But luckily he had a jumper which he could put on which hid most of the damage. But when you listen to that show, do remember that Chris Addison is sitting in a pool of ambiguous liquid throughout, like some kind of character from a sit-com. Luckily he is still quite funny even if you don't know that, but it will help make him even funnier.
I told a story in the show about how when I was about 9 I had witnessed a plague of ladybirds descend upon the beach I was sitting on - I had met a ladybird expert in Edinburgh this year and told her this story and she was able to pinpoint the location and date of the event: Weston-Super-Mare and 1976, so clearly it was a unique and amazing thing to have witnessed. After the show, David who is the technical whizz up in the booth shouted down to me to tell me that he'd been on the beach that day too and I have subsequently had an email from a member of the audience who was also there. What are the chances of three people who'd experienced this once in a lifetime event turning up in the same room some 30 years later. Spooky! That's the power of the ladybird.
Got to get on with my work now. Go away.
