I was up at 6am to get working on the script, but it still wasn't pouring out of me. Bit by bit over the next eight hours it somehow took shape. I don't quite know how. I had come up with an ending based on Total Recall (where a version of me was working for the advertising industry and had had false memories implanted to make me think I was fighting the system) but it seemed a bit too obscure even for AIOTM. In a well timed bath at about 2pm an alternative ending crept into my mind and though I wrote it all in a bit of a whirl, when we read it out at 5, it seemed to make some kind of sense.
But even after my bath I wasn't sure I had enough material for show, but I managed to squeeze a few more ideas out of my constipated brain and I hoped for the best.
It was a big show. Not only were 300 or so people coming to watch it live (a little bit lower thane 550 capacity) but a few TV and Radio people had been cajoled along by my manager. I am not sure what TV and Radio can do with this idea, but it's interesting that they are sniffing around it. And testament to the fact that you can get on and do stuff yourself and create other work or a least an aura of interest. For me the podcast is an end in itself, in spite of the character Richard Herring's constant call to return to TV. The only reason I would stop doing this live podcast is for fear of affecting my mental and physical health. I don't want to burn myself out and this weekend have felt dangerously close to that. Obviously it would be cool in a lot of ways to get some paid and higher profile work, but I am neither banking on it, nor feeling that I will have failed if it doesn't happen. I am proud (and slightly amazed) by AIOTM. I am happy for it to be judged against shows that are written by more people in more than 8 hours. I think most of it stands up and perhaps shows that sometimes with comedy, you can over think things. Having time to edit and consider will often lead to you removing stuff that might be the purest and funniest bits.
We could really do with selling every show out, but the houses have been good enough to get the cast their £85.11 and we're booked in to do six more in May 2011 at the Leicester Square Theatre (which feels like the project's spiritual home and certainly seems to have a better atmosphere for the banter in the first half. The audience can seem a little distant in the Bloomsbury). Still it's been fun pretending that we are finishing it. I am seemingly addicted to the pressure and the Monday morning 6am regret and the fear of humiliation.
For the second night in a row my audience banter wasn't amazing in the first half, though I chose a couple of audience members who didn't want to play ball which always derails things if it happens straight away. We all took a little while to warm up, but by the podcast itself things were flying better (and it's one of the strongest audience sections we've done) and everything seemed to work OK. These last three have been more relaxed and had more space for improvisation and I think that suits the show better than having too many sketches. As you will see if you look at the scripts in the download section lots changes in performance and I am fortunate as always to have the very funny and smart cast (and producer) that I do.
The live audience certainly seem on board with it all and the running jokes (often taking place across decades and different shows) all work well, which might be confusing to the uninitiated, but hopefully the executive types were impressed by the response, even if they didn't understand why people were laughing about soot. Or whatever. A couple of guys in the front row had brought along their own semi-circular toilet mats, and we ascertained that these had come unwashed from home. So if my entire audience dies from Legionnaire's Disease or dysentery then you will know why.
Another man, as you'll hear had brought along Christmas cake for Ben Goldacre, which is remarkable given how brief the mentions of that have been. And also enjoyable to think that this eminent rationalist is now associated (correctly) with being obsessed with Christmas cake. I hope he doesn't mind. At the very least, it seems, he's going to get a lot of free Christmas cake out of it.
So thanks to all those of you who have supported this show over the last 22 episodes, especially if you're one of those whose made it down to see it live, or bought the gofasterstripe DVD. It is gratifying for us all that this homemade and seemingly slightly ridiculous notion has come even this far and I am grateful to you all. But obviously when it turns me into a big TV superstar I won't give any of you fuckers the time of day.
And there is little rest for the wicked, because I am heading off to Cardiff tomorrow and spending Wednesday recording 5 podcasts with Andrew Collings. You can come along and see the last of those live (as well as seeing the final performance of Secret Dancing) - only a few tickets left Welshos.
Tickets only available here.
You can hear tonight's AIOTM at the usual places.
