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Dr Pete Murray sent me this
Bit rich given the stuff that goes on on the Glasgow Underground.
richardherring.com is blocked in quite a few places. Gails in Hitchin (and presumably everywhere) deems it unacceptable, though doesn't mind charging about a fiver for a coffee. Remember if the man ever tries to stop you reading my blog, you can also read it here
https://richardherring.substack.com/
Apologies to the Geoffrey Giraffe. Please don't sue me. But if you do, you'll have to prove you've never masturbated. So good luck with that.
I have not only started doing research work for my Edinburgh Fringe guests (ridiculously early to start prepping) but today I began packing. We're only four days from the big trip and I am not sure I am looking forward to it. Firstly we have a slightly complicated train journey - I don't think we've ever done a major rail trip with the kids and I suspect it might be stressful - check out next Monday's blog for details. And then we have two weeks at the Fringe, which if my previous 26 visits to the event are any indication, can also be somewhat irksome.
Jeez, is this really my 27th time. 28th if you include the time
I came up to do a discussion panel about podcasts for the TV festival. Bizarrely that one night stay was probably the most lucrative Fringe I ever had, as also on the panel was the then head of Acast and meeting her convinced me that maybe it wasn't the worst possible crime imaginable to try and monetise the podcast.
That realisation not only meant we were able to run a viable business, but would also be able to survive (and help others survive) lockdown.
Also that night I went to see Brett Goldstein. His show was great and reasonably well attended in a room that maybe seated 150 people. I then tagged along with him on a fun night out, making it also one of my most sociable Fringes. I had a lovely time that year and everything was paid for, so I didn't even lose any money.
Also though, I am glad I got to see Brett that year. I think he was happy enough, but worried about numbers, wondering if a podcast might help his career take off, clearly a brilliant comedian and beautiful man, but in danger of disappearing in a competitive market place.
Almost exactly two years later Ted Lasso would premiere and Brett's life and career would transform.
It's amazing to see that happen and for it to happen to Brett was the second best person it could happen to.
Six months later he was well on the way to being the biggest comedy star in the UK. I don't think I've seen him since, though I got on with him well in Canada. He pointed out a joke about my name that had never occurred to me, or anyone else who'd mentioned it. I am called Dick Her Ring.
And for that, if nothing else, he deserves his incredible success.
Of course there's tonnes of comedians who are great who don't suddenly get propelled into the big time, though perhaps deserve to (not me this time). It's pretty random in some ways, though for nearly everyone who makes it, they do have the shared characteristic of being massively talented.
That 2018 Edinburgh did give me a more minor (but to me equally important) boost. And though I don't want to give people false hope, because the Fringe will leave hundreds of people and dozens of talented people with no tangible reward. It can happen though.
It's just ironic that my most successful Fringe was one I didn't go to.
There were some other ones that made a difference too. In 1997 we did This Morning With Richard Not Judy, a show that we only started working on the day before the Fringe (though we had done it a few years before) and that became a TV show. The plays I wrote over the next few years would help me secure the job of writing Time Gentlemen Please and there were a few stand up shows that helped me break through. Talking Cock led to a big tour, a book and a show sold all over the world and Hitler Moustache also felt like a mildly life-changing year.
But one panel in 2018 and possibly the only time in my life I've really done any networking is still, financially speaking, the big one for me.
The moral is, Edinburgh acts, you never know what's going to happen. Good luck.
Very excited to announce that my guest for Edinburgh RHLSTPs on 8th August will be timkey.
Quickly book tickets here. Same link for shows.
Sales are going OK. Unsurprisingly the weekend shows are closest to selling out. Ironically the best selling show so far is 2nd August which is the only one without a guest announced! Also unsurprisingly the first three shows in preview week need a bit of a boost so if you're in town and at a loose end, please come along. We need to make £600 a day just to pay for the accommodation!
And more RHLSTP news. I am doing a show in Bewdley near Kidderminster on 16th October. Unbeknownst to me, it's been on sale for a while and there's only about 30 tickets left.
So book now. 
