Congratulations are due to my PR man (and fellow Headmaster's Son) Ben. Despite his responsibility for my
Scott of the Antarctic style trek through the snowy streets of West London, he has done a marvelous job of getting me onto TV and radio shows and even more impressively getting reviewers into the show, despite the fact that so many of them saw it in Edinburgh. Today came a whole raft of reviews, all good and mostly excellent, including
which are up in the Press section if you want to read them). There does seem to be a preoccupation with my physical appearance running through at least some of these reviews, I suppose they feel they can do it because I do it myself. Unlike some comedians I don't mind reading my reviews most of the time and like to try and take the criticisms on board. I think the Times probably saw me on the first night, when in my struggle to remember the show and to cope with the technical difficulties, I didn't engage too much with the crowd. But I have been trying to rush through the show, aware that I don't want to make the audience sit there for too long, but anxious to get in as much as possible. This is a theatrical monologue and not a show that needs much interaction, but I consciously decided to slow things down a bit tonight and to let people in and that was indeed the right thing to do. But then it was another big and responsive crowd (not sure of final numbers, but it felt like more than Wednesday from where I was standing - but can't really see beyond the first two rows). There is a definite smell of success though and in a way I think it's a shame I am only doing two weeks here, as with word of mouth I think it could really build. It makes some of the more self-deprecating remarks fall on slightly stony ground. It's hard for me to claim that my career isn't going all that well when this many people have come to see me. Which isn't a cause for complaint, just another step forward in my campaign of persistence. I am very excited about tomorrow night. I think there's a good chance it might sell out and I am feeling totally on top of the material now and the combination of those factors might make for the best ever performance of this show.... of course such hubris can only lead to disappointment, but I can't deny the feeling of anticipation and excitement as all the hard work starts to pay off. And the cherry on the cake was the news that the Wolverhampton gig on the tour has now sold out. It's only a small room, but it's still weeks away and it's a symbolic victory due to
this experience of the town. The promoter suggested that next year I might want to try a return to that big room, which might mean it had only taken me 7 years to fulfil my Wolverhampton prophecy! I will try to keep the list to the right updated with ticket sales so you'll have some warning if they're going to sell out. Bristol, Warwick, Norwich and Manchester are all likely to do so in the next couple of weeks. At the moment, if you and 490 odd friends fancy coming to Clacton on Sea, you probably won't have too many problems if you just turn up on the night.
In less good news I am getting nowhere with the book at the moment. I am not panicking yet, but I do know that I can't pranny around for too much longer. But it was clear nothing was happening this afternoon, so I went for a 6 mile run instead, even though my leg is still hurting a bit. The fact I managed to keep running for over an hour despite some mild discomfort is, I think, an achievement that eclipses that whinging bloke from Touching the Void. Plus I hardly even made any fuss about it and just kept plodding onwards. I am glad I did it. The exercise is making me feel a lot better and hopefully if I keep at it reviewers will stop calling me fat or tubby! I also got to 49 on my new run of CNPS, edging me closer to the frustrating 50s, which I know will be a living Hell. I am playing old school and not allowing any of the new style numberplates, but practically one in two cars now has a fifty something number plate. How many times will I think I have seen my target number, only to realise it is one of the new number plate blasphemies? And I can't believe I am doing this again, even if I am being incredibly casual about it this time. I am painfully aware that completion is going to be almost impossible now as there are less and less old style number plates around and they will be even scarcer in three or four years time when I will possibly be still in the low hundreds. But just because something is impossible and pointless doesn't mean we shouldn't attempt it.
