I think that the favourite thing about my Fringe this year is that my biggest guaranteed laugh of the day comes after the words "exponential mathematics". That doesn't sound like a pairing of words that will lift the roof off and the fact that it always does (well at least gets a big laugh) makes me smile inside. I guess maybe any two words could be funny if you find the right context to say them in. But if I told you when you came in that you would be laughing at the words "exponential mathematics" you'd probably doubt me. And you'd probably be wrong. This is one of the reasons I love comedy.
Barry Cryer is another reason I love comedy and I had a lovely afternoon chatting with him, but in front of an audience this time. I gave him my "King of Edinburgh" T-shirt which I think was only right.
You can listen here. I have enjoyed pretty much all of the podcast shows, but this one was my favourite yet. I think Barry was as happy to be there as I was to have him. And this is the first time (I think) that I have ever done any "work" with him, which makes me one degree of separation from pretty much everyone who is anyone in comedy in the world. And like the genius he surely is, Barry is going home tomorrow. Why didn't I think of that? Just go home before it all goes to shit. I still have ten more shows to go (well 21 all in actually). But I am coping well with it so far. Not overdoing it at night time, getting some sleep and getting some exercise. It's been a great Fringe up to now, maybe my favourite yet. Ah let's not make predictions yet!
And a lady called Verity sent me a disturbing picture today, where she used my photo in the Observer magazine to become a transexual version of me. Hope you enjoy that. It scared the crap out of me.
Tonight's show didn't quite catch fire as much as most of the recent ones and I became a bit fixated on a couple of women in the front row who seemed to be hating it from the start. This is the lot of the comedian. Though most people were getting into it, couldn't take my eyes off the two who were wishing they weren't there. Would anything win them round? It didn't seem so. They had made their decision and were now stuck with it and in the theatre. I don't know if they managed to crack a smile for "exponential mathematics" but I suspect not. Sometimes you can win people round, sometimes you can't.
