Journalism

EDINBURGH DIARY by Richard K Herring, the playwright

This year is the tenth anniversary of my first Edinburgh. In 1987, I’d just turned 20 and was appearing in St Mary’s Hall (now sadly offices) in a lunch-time student revue to audiences which were upwards of one person. The team of funsters I was working were amusingly named “The Seven Raymonds” (there were six of us and none of us were called Raymond and from thence the humour arose) and included Stewart Lee, who is of course now best known for his appearances on BSB’s “Up Yer News” which were recorded, but never broadcast. I slept on the floor of a Masonic temple with 40 other students. There was no bathroom. And although I remember crying myself to sleep a couple of nights, it was a fantastic experience. We didn’t get discovered, we didn’t even get reviewed, but the few people who saw the show quite liked it, and that was enough.
This year I have my own bedroom in a flat with a bath and only 2 other occupants, both of whom are huge TV celebrities: The star of Channel 4’s much missed “A Stab in the Dark”, David “That’s You That Is” Baddiel (who I am already delighting each morning with my cry of “You know David Baddiel, that’s you, that is.” He loves it.) and Stewart “Up Yer News” Lee. Well, some things never change.
But you know despite the home comforts, the brushes with celebrity, the large audiences thronging to see my shows and the wonderful reviews that have been appearing daily in the papers, do you know which Edinburgh I enjoyed the most? It is this years. Performing to no people is shit.
Cynical people (usually journalists) often ask me why I still come here. After all IÂ’ve been on TV now and surely the only point of coming to Edinburgh is to get a TV series. The sad truth is I come here because I love it (and hate it to, but IÂ’ve forgotten about the bad parts by March when I have to decide if IÂ’m coming up again). And having been to the genuinely cynical Montreal festival this year ( where most comics are only there because they are hoping to get the part of goofy neighbour in the new sit-com) it is great to be back at a festival where experimentation and entertainment are top of the agenda. ThatÂ’s why IÂ’m here because I want to further my art, stretch my limits and make audiences laugh away their troubles. And not because I like having an excuse to get pissed every night for four weeks, talk to ladies and embarrass myself in front of people I hope to impress.
Plus thereÂ’s the chance to see all the thousands of shows that other performers have worked so hard to get together, but I canÂ’t be arsed with all that. I hate theatre and comedy and the world. I am like Skeletor in that respect. I prefer hanging around in the Pleasance Courtyard drinking beer and having pints of warm water poured over my head by drunk strangers who think IÂ’m arrogant because I was only prepared to talk to them for an hour.
I also like celebrity spotting. Last year I saw the woman who played a waitress in one of the old Pizza Hut commercials. You know, she also does one for Linguaphone now, and she’s in those Weller promotions at the beginning and end of “Friends”. Also she advertises water filters, although that is just used in in-store promotions. She’s great. Not that I’m obsessed with her or anything. I wonder who I’ll see this year. Oh, there’s David Baddiel coming out the toilet. Great.
On top of all this there’s always a chance that the producer of Suggs’ amazing “celebrity” karaoke programme on Channel 5 might spot me and invite me on to one of his shows. Edinburgh is ace!