Warming Up

We did our secret handshake at breakfast. The rest of the family couldn’t believe how cool we were. I couldn’t believe I remembered it.

Two days, two TV appearances. The public are clamouring for me to be back on the screen. What will tomorrow bring? Unlikely to be anything on telly as they tend not to book you in on the day, though maybe I will be on the news. Fingers crossed. That’s always a good thing.

Up to Sheffield today to make an appearance on Meet The Richardsons in which I was playing the character of Richard Herring, a failed comedian desperate to start up a new double act so that he could get back on the telly. It was a stretch, but I made it work.

Just like yesterday it was a bit of a schlep to get there and then an hour of waiting around before getting to do my bit, which was done in about half an hour, followed by a bit of a schlep to get home. But I don’t mind at all. It’s been a fun couple of days, with both brief burst of filming being full of laughs  and pumping me up with adrenaline. I was doing a scene with Jon Richardson, who I knew from the stand up circuit as he was a newish act when I made my return in 2004 and we’d gigged together for three nights in Switzerland in 2009. and enjoyed a sausage date together on the banks of an incredibly green river. It was so green it seemed unnatural. Though I suppose it was so green because it was natural. It’s all the other brown rivers that are full of shit.

Anyway lovely to spend more time with Jon and to improvise some funny material together. There was a script but as long as we hit a few points in the argument we were allowed to do whatever we want. I felt we were just warming up when they told us we had enough. I like this show and Jon and Lucy are brilliant in it. It was a shame not to get to act alongside her, though we did an hour of improvising when she was a fabulous guest on RHLSTP. In fact she was a fabulous guest twice.

I am increasingly of the belief that improvising is the way to go for all comedy. Again no lines to learn, just trust yourself that something will come up (once again loads of ideas appeared from nowhere) and no endless retakes and close ups which suck the love out of the comedy. I am keen to assemble an improvisational dream team and start to make films and sitcoms this way. If enough people listen to the podcast then this dream might become a reality.

I was surprised how accessible Sheffield is from Hertfordshire and that I was able to leave the house at 1.15pm and be home by 9.30pm and still have had time for filming. I don’t use trains much (and seeing how much the ticket that I didn’t pay for actually cost, I am glad I don’t) as I have too much stuff to take with me on tour and trains don’t run at the kind of time that I usually clock off when gigging, but when it works, as it seemed to today, it’s fast and it’s nice to be able to get some work done (I am writing this on there return journey - if the train derails and crashes then I might get my wish for a TV hat trick).

Working in telly is terrific fun, but I might feel differently if my commitment was for weeks or months rather than 30 mins (plus travel and waiting around) for a couple of days. 

Back in the big time (of losers). Might have to make that a tour title. My daughter continues to be the funniest person in the family.