9th August 2013 Pleasance Court Yard
9th show in the run
Length 52 mins
Before Show
I bump into Nick Helm before the show. I joke about him straining his own voice. This quip will later come back to haunt me but for the moment I am cock-a-hoop.
I felt, after watching the play back of yesterdays show, that there was not enough impetus in the the performance and the material and it was often delivered in a lackadaisical. Punchlines were often under delivered meaning they failed in their impact. I resolve to correct this today.
I am in particularly silly mood today. I mess about on the off stage mic before I come on stage. This is the first time in this run that I have really mucked about with the pre-show announcement. This indicates audience seem to be up for it.
During Show
I try to enter through the curtain by just sticking my head through in a comedic fashion and then once i’ve poked my head through, then walking onstage. It doesn’t really come off. Slap stick it seems need practice.
Strong start and into “We all Gamble” in a seamless manner although this section now needs tightening up from a writing point of view, it no longer feels fit for purpose. The lottery stuff works better, particularly now that I have added description of stupid lottery winners.
“We are all lucky” tonight the first punchline doesn’t land and this is obviously a delivery problem that i will check later on the tape. But the end of this routine should end in a round of applause and does not. It fails to land. I hate it when audiences don’t do what they are supposed to do and instead insist on having their own opinions and freedom of action. Needs more work.
“Professional Gambler” The new changes work well now. I am starting to really find this routine. I was go as far as to say it is becoming a stalwart although it is still a bit loose and I didn’t maximise the ending. “Risk is manly.” Just by changing this material from passing it off as my opinion to now claiming it as somebody else’s has transformed the fortunes of this bit and just shows what can be achieved by shifting blame to somebody else.
Gordon Brown section doesn’t really work and I wonder if I should drop this altogether. I naturally assume that Scottish audiences wont like it as much because they are loyal to a fellow Scot but I now feel the whole thing is a bit weak and I can no longer just blame Scottish tribalism/racism.
“Possessed by Demons” this still lacks a certain something.
“Mirapex” probably worked better today than it has ever done. I am hitting the punchlines well today. Mental note. Keep doing this.
“Understanding Addiction” The trick here is for me to loose myself in the material and then pause at the end and come to like I have come out of a trance and slowly realize I have a problem. Today the pause is just right and I try and remember it as I do it so I can do it for for tomorrow. A pointless task as no two performances are the same. Total waste of brain power.
Somebody has left their phone and the speakers pick up that little pulse of signals that phones send out periodically. That sort of da da-da da da-da da. This provides a golden period of adlibbing for about three minutes. It doesn’t get any better than this. It is probably the funniest thing I have said at the fringe. So much for bothering to write a show and then something off the top of my head is better. I wonder at the prospect of just doing this as a stand alone routine? I don’t know if it would work except in the moment. I decide against it. This one of the best bit of my comedy career is chucked in a bin.
“Scrapyard” I put too many examples of the demands placed on kids before the punchline and the result in a damp squib. I have over egged the whole routine and damaged I need to slim it back down.
“Kid” routine. This is the oldest routine in the show and also the most honed. Oddly it is the only thing that doesn’t take off today.
“Feel the fear” I no longer no why I do this routine?
“Tipping Point” I really just talk this out in the set up and it works a treat. It is funny in that way that as you say something the audience laugh and you think “What’s so funny about that? This is just words there are no jokes here. I am just saying this as information. Why is it funny? I will never understand you people” but they just think it is great on the basis of what exactly? Even now looking back I don’t know why it tickled them. I try out a new example of Richard Branson and it doesn’t really work but I think there is something there it just isn’t worded properly. So there is something I have thought about not working to contrast with something unthought that is funny.
“Probability” delivered perfectly today.
The End of the Show builds to a rant from around “Nate Silver” onwards but today I have injured my voicebox. This is an indication that in order to add impetus the material, I may have being straining it unnecessary. This is bad technique. But I am only aware of the strain as I enter the Nate Silver material. Only now, as I launch into the rant, do I realize that my voice is weakening and I need a drink but stopping for a drink will break the rhythm of the rant and make it appear unspontaneous. I therefore plough on while conscious that I don’t really have the power to build the rant and indeed it flatlines. Worse, the Nate silver rant acts as a springboard to the ending of the show but I have to bounce straight into the ending off the rant. I don’t do this. I cant do this. I am forced to stop for a drink and this damages the momentum. I get the end back on track but only to a mediocre level.
After Show
Can’t help feeling I have forgotten something - turns out that I haven’t. Its just the fat is being trimmed off the show.
Felt like I performed the show better today in terms of moods and impetus etc.
Felt like I performed the show worse today in terms of voice. Worried re the implications of straining my voice. Think my voice may have been too shouty and too high and that I was “going after the audience a bit” Indeed I was aware of being too far forward at bits and occasionally one women in front row looking a bit scared as if I was going to join her in the front row.
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