Edinblog Day 2: Opening Night

So I don’t know where today went, except that it was a lot of putting bits and pieces together for the show tonight and thinking about the show tonight and buying a table for the show tonight and finding a tea place to do my pre-show tea drinking. 

There was some sort of industry party that I didn’t go to in favour of putting the bits and pieces together and watching Laura Davis work on her Ghost for Ghost Machine. It is a marvel of engineering and seamsmanship (not a word, but should be).

Then I went to the Pleasance Dome to do a spot at the Chortle Fast Fringe, which is where you go on stage for three minutes and it’s very frenetic. I never know if it’s worthwhile doing as a show-promo thing, because I’m not sure that 3 minutes is “my event”. When it comes to the the comedy track and field events spectrum, I am not a sprinter. I don’t know what I am. Steeplechase maybe? 

Nonetheless there’s always something fun about being out of your comfort zone (I tell myself as I walk out). 

Bumping into some friends and enemies throughout the day, remembering how small Edinburgh is, and how nice it is to be in a floating village. Comedy can be isolating, particularly if you travel a lot. It can feel like running away from the world. And sometimes it is. I've been pretty much in my shell of late, hiding a bit, maybe. But if you're in Edinburgh in August, the world comes to you. 

Then I go backstage to do the last pre-ethos pieces and bits. Rhys Nicholson, Myq Kaplan and Tom Walker are sharing my backstage area, which is nice. Nerves hit me hard, which is good probably, because I've been feeling pretty chill until now. 

Opening NIGHT!!!

Maybe fifteen minutes before I go on stage, I get a call from my PR who says that some Festival Awards Judges are asking to come in and watch tonight. I immediately feel flustered and confused, and say no. Then yes. Then “I don’t know. It’s opening night! You choose! No! I don't know!" Which is all very annoying for me, as I like to think of myself as not worrying about that kind of thing, and sometimes life proves you're a hypocrite in a way you can't reason your way out of. 

Then it’s OPENING NIGHT! It's a solid show. Only a few bits I'll need to fix for tomorrow, and mild general doubt about the quality of what I've created on a fundamental level. The audience was lovely and warm, getting on board with the silly bits which is a relief. Some glitches to iron out (as ever). Only a month more of shows to go!

I go home and eat something, Laura and James have bought some fancy French cake, and we talk nicely about communism and things while my adrenaline settles. I feel very looked after, though now the adrenaline’s gone down, the prospect of having a shower seems a mountainous effort. (The shower is non-optional given the combination of makeup, rain, fancy French cake crumbs and stage-sweat that has mingled on my skin and will harden into a sentient exoskeleton over my body if I sleep in it).

Right. Fine. Off to rinse off day 1 (of the show, day 2 of Edinblog, I’ve made a terrible mistake in this numbering system).

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A