Script two of TWTTIN came together reasonably quickly today and I left it in a state where I felt we could sort it out in rehearsal tomorrow. I feel a lot more relaxed about going into recording taking some chances than I did three years ago when we did the first series, which is probably a good thing. At the moment it doesn't feel like we'll be recording the first episodes within hours, but I am sure it will begin to seem real once we are back in Bush Hall.
It was another Lyric gig tonight and I have to say it was another absolute pleasure to do. Each week I am getting more comfortable with going on stage without too much idea of what I am going to say. I certainly dug myself into some holes, but I got out of most of them and there were some genuine moments of spontaneity, which were as usual assisted by the steady consumption of a bottle of wine. At the end of the show I chastised the people in the cheap seats at the back for not paying more, demonstrating how much more you got for your money by spitting towards (not directly at, though I think a small amount of sputum went on her trousers) a woman in the front row. "That is what you got for the extra money," I commented, "Hepatitis B.. It surprised me as much as her and the audience and I added in a small, faintly evil voice "I am drunk". But it's exciting when stuff is just happening, and somehow something like this almost seems a theatrical statement when in this impressive theatre.
But as usual it was the other acts that made it so awesome. We had Matt Green and Nina Conti, both of whom I have been on with recently in smaller rooms (Matt did a fine gig in the tiny room where Example did his first bit of stand up) and I wanted to get them on to this bigger stage in front of a crowd who might not know them. Then the "surprise" secret guest Stephen Merchant took to the stage, brandishing one of his 3 BAFTAs. He has only recently returned to stand up, but was charming and funny and seemed immediately at ease. Annoyingly he is just as easy-going and likeable in real life, amused, rather than altered by his tremendous success. Chris Addison did a blistering 45 minute set to close and even though he has only gigged once or twice this year he was in amazing and unrusty form (putting my slightly raggedy Brighton performance after a 9 day lay off into some kind of perspective). It's great to come on and wrap up a show in a room where 500 people have just had an amazing night. The atmosphere is incredible. You can even start spitting on them and no-one really minds.
There's one more show to go and it's another terrific line up of Sarah Kendall, Milton Jones and Lee Mack. The Lyric haven't been putting the £10 tickets in the Upper Circle on sale unless the other two levels have been full, but I think I have persuaded them to do so. So hopefully by Monday afternoon you will be able to get cheaper tickets to see this terrific line-up by visiting
The Lyric website. Though I won't be able to spit on you up there, so take that into account. Would be great to end the season on another near sell out, which would help the case for doing more in the New Year, so come along if you can!
