I don't know where this idea that I am the King of Edinburgh came from, but it certainly seems to be getting around. I am a little embarrassed by all the attention if I am honest, as flattering as it is that people think this about me. But come on there are thousands of other performers out there who are trying their hardest and Edinburgh is a celebration of us all, not a competition to select the one who is best at doing it.
Ironically enough it felt a bit like tonight's entire What Is Love, Anyway? audience had come along because they had heard I was the King of Edinburgh and wanted to see what all the fuss was about and they sat there staring at me with suspicion, as if to say, come on then, prove you're the king. It was a really tough gig. This first Sunday is a weird one as it's a full price ticket, nestled between a cheap Friday and a two for one Monday, so the theatre wasn't even half full and the rain and the end of the weekend had perhaps dampened people's spirits.
Generally audiences get caught up in this show from the beginning, so it was strange and slightly unsettling for some of the jokes to get just smiles or solitary laughs. The less professional me of a few years ago might have let my frustration out and perhaps chided them for their unresponsiveness, but I steam rollered on, redoubling my efforts. I know enough by now that sometimes a quiet audience will applaud wildly at the end and just aren't laughers and whilst I could see some bored faces and sense some antipathy there were plenty of people smiling for all their might. There were a couple of reviewers in and as always it was annoying to think that this odd atmosphere, much of which was not my fault, was going to inevitably lead to negative or less effusive write ups. However much a reviewer thinks he or she can see how good something is regardless of the reaction, enthusiasm lifts the performance and affects the whole crowd. It's actually quite unsettling how different the reactions to the same show were tonight and last night. That is the luck of the draw with the Fringe. And why one dud show can affect the way the whole thing is perceived.
I was proud of myself because as I talked about watching Fist of Fun with my dad and Julia Sawalha and the sketch going down to tense silence I completely resisted the temptation to say, "Yes, a bit like this." It's so tempting for a comedian to comment on his self-perceived failure, but often the audience are not seeing it the same way and so to point it out opens the possibility in their mind.
It was the strangest and least enjoyable performance of this show from my point of view and left me reeling a bit. But I am pleased with the way I handled the situation. It's grace under fire and my perspicacity that I guess is what has led people to bestow monarchy upon me.
In the past the half empty theatre and muted response would have got to me and I wasn't all together delighted, but I took it in my stride, even when standing under one of the table umbrellas and hearing people slagging off the show they had just seen - it might not have been mine, but I walked away before I could find out.
The podcast show went well though, despite me being tired, clumsy and forgetful and somehow managing to lose some of the prize tickets, even though I carefully put them all in my pocket as soon as I had them. Andy Zaltzman was sharp and witty and the Behemoth did a funny sketch and even though I mis-timed everything in my befuddlement and couldn't think of anything to say at the end, Andy rescued it with a funny story about how he delivered his own baby. This is quite a marathon challenge I have set myself and with such an improvised show there are going to be good ones and less good ones. But it's finding its feet and all that we need now is people to come and see it - Dan Antopolski and Nick Helm are on Monday's show. Come down if you can.
I had been swimming before and when the man asked me if I wanted a towel I was delighted to be able to tell him I had brought my own. The look of disappointment on his face when he realised he wasn't going to be able to steal a pound off me was the perfect revenge. That'll teach you Ian Virgin.
Back to the end of the day where I was appearing in Pokermen, a chat show based around a game of poker, hosted by the towel thief Andre Vincent. I was going to be good and only have one drink because I have to get up early and write my Radio 4 script tomorrow, but in the fun company of Dave Gorman and Neil Cole I had a few glasses of wine and some beer and a lot of laughs. It was probably just what I needed, even if tomorrow is sabotaged as a result. Dave won the poker, but I played as well as I could with the rubbish that was dealt to me and enjoyed the odd atmosphere and the passive aggressive heckling from the crowd. I am already having a lot more fun off stage this Fringe than last, even if I think that the end result might be exhaustion and illness.
