By this stage of the Fringe all the performers are looking tired and jaded and like they want to go home. It happens every year and every year we forget how from our point of view the Festival is a week too long. The late nights start catching up on everyone, illness is creeping in and psychologically it feels like it's nearly over, but then you realise you have over a third of the shows still to do.
Even though I have been almost a paragon of virtue this year, going to the gym every day before I twatted myself in the ribs and eating salads and nothing deep fried, I am still pretty tired. I wish I was able to exercise as I think that would help, but I am still doing plenty of walking, so I am not literally going to pot just yet.
A little bit of air was let out of the balloon today when I got my much anticipated
Guardian review. I knew it was coming as there had been a rush to get my photo taken at the gig last night and I thought that was probably a good sign. And whilst it's not a terrible review by any means and says plenty of positive things, it's only a three star and seems to miss the point about the end of the show. But apparently the reviewer came on that weird day
when the Portuguese schoolkids were in and it was hard to keep the pace and focus going. I am not sure how relevant that is. Quite a few of the reviewers have not liked the more serious and thoughtful ending, even Chortle found it soft, which I think is odd as for most of the punters it seems to be the emotional honesty that they most enjoy. And comedically for me, wrongfooting the audience by suddenly becoming emotionally truthful is both interesting and rather exciting. It is for me what takes the show a step on from where I have been before. And of course it's odd to criticise something for not being funny, when it's not supposed to be funny. And actually much of the end is pretty funny, I think. In an hour long show I think there is room for seriousness. Of course if they were saying it was mawkish or embarrassing then that would be different. I am just surprised by the disparity between (some of) the reviewers and other people who have talked to me about the show.
Are critics just more cynical than other people? Or do they actually have more issues than comedians and don't like to consider their own relationships with parents or first girlfriends?
The guy at the Sunday Times seemed upset that I "forgave" my father, when the whole point of the show is to acknowledge that there is nothing to forgive. In a way that is a harder thing to admit to than something that they might see as more artistically significant.
But like I say, the review isn't that bad. I was just hoping for better. But it's not going to ruin my Edinburgh, much as it would be great if my favourite paper liked me back as much! It's a shame though that my two least starred reviews have come in national papers - even if, without the stars attached, you would think they were good reviews (both the Sunday Times and the Guardian are very sparse with 4 star reviews, so 3 stars isn't too bad, but that fact isn't really going to impress itself on the casual observer). All those 5 star reviews have spoiled me!
I went to see
"The Wisecrackin', Mindsqueezin' Behemoth" this afternoon, starring cute young comedians Nadia Kamil and John Luke Roberts. I've seen their shows for the last couple of years (Staggered Spaces and
The Gently Progressive Behemoth) and it's interesting to see their act (and their relationship) develop. They are coming on in leaps and bounds and I really enjoyed their destruction of the work of Banksy as well as their depiction of him as a yokel puppet, as well as their claim that this year's show had been sponsored by the BNP. A woman walked out after their song from the musical of the life of Nick Griffin - perhaps she was offended because she thought they were genuinely being sponsored by the BNP or maybe she didn't like people mocking racists or maybe she needed to go to the toilet. Who knows? It's a very smart show, full of ideas, with performers who seem to be having fun. They're both bound to be big stars, so go and see them now so you can show off about how you saw them in a tiny theatre in 2008 (but not when I am around because I can show off about seeing them in a tiny theatre in 2006 - cheg on).
So despite the weariness and minor disappointments I am still having fun. Typically with Edinburgh time feels like it has flown by and yet memories of the first few days here seem like a lifetime ago.
I have started looking forward to going home though.
