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My third Monday at the Bill Murray trying out new material and things stepped up a gear. It was a fabulous and receptive (drunk) May Day audience who were still well-behaved. Someone’s phone went off in the first five minutes and another man had to stumble across the stage with 15 minutes to go as he needed the toilet and more drink. But more importantly I was starting to get off book (for about half the material) which really frees up the performance and makes things looser and more improvisational and that’s how you create a show. If I am going to tour Can I Have My Ball Back? I want to make sure there’s enough stuff that’s different than (or at least additional to) the book. That’s a tough ask as the basic story isn’t going to change. But after two and a half goes this is already getting there a little, with an interesting thread of my relationship with my daughter (which is in the book for sure, but the book doesn’t hang on it) and the idea (not yet explored) of cutting toxic influences out of your life. I took my own toxic friend. Right Bollock with me, along with my false arm jacket, but ran out of time and didn’t really get to show him off.
But there was some nice unplanned banter with a man in the front row about what his price for losing a testicle would be and when he claimed that there wasn’t a figure I came up with a nice off the cuff call back that hopefully I can use again (though it might just be one of those things that works one time).
I may be a stand up comedian again.
I started the show by saying, “Just before I begin, there’s something I have to do. Some people think it’s a bit weird and makes me look needy and insecure, but I do insist on it. Everyone has to swear an oath.” And then I made everyone repeat after me “I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Richard Herring and laughs at all of his jokes, present and future, regardless of how shit or racist they might be, according to law, so help me God.”
I am funny.
