Edinburgh Festival - 2nd August 2013

2nd August 2013  Pleasance Court Yard 

3rd show in the run

Length 55 minutes.

Before Gig

Audience. A very young audience. The front row are late teens. But I am certainly double the age of some of these people. 

Today I am more prepared before the show. I arrive at the venue about 30 minutes before stage time. I practice facial impressions in the mirror in the dressing room. I practice the start. I practice a bit I forget yesterday. I have had time to mentally prepare today although I have also recently dined out on a large curry and then followed that up with middle eastern desserts and coffee. I feel physically pretty sluggish. The coffee isn’t kicking in. I drink plenty water. I need the toilet today before I go on stage although I’m not worried about this. I think it will give the show added impetus. I have dumped my walk on music after just two shows. The theme tune from The Untouchables can fuck off. The theme tune from  A Series of Unfortunate Events lends the start a more silly air. I am in a silly mood in general before I go on. 

During Gig

Somebody whistles as I take to the stage and I answer it by asking who whistled and for a moment it goes a bit tense as though I were a teacher and then I move on and start the show and it passes. The audience are in a silly mood. Not sure if it is the intro music or they are just like that as people? It’s a good start either way. Today is the first time I really feel I know the show reasonably well. 

Dentist routine. I add on a section of a local in a colloquial accent describing the phenomenon of a Marsbar eaten with a Sunday roast. This is the second time I have tried it and it works really well today. To the point that it kind of jars to go back into the remainder of the routine. 

Hairdresser routine.- I am not sure but I may have said dentist instead of hairdresser in the set up thus confusing a routine. I’m not paying attention to what I am saying and I suddenly feel I have lost them. I even ask them if I just said dentist instead of hairdresser. They don’t answer but they get immediately back on board. I think i said dentist instead of hairdresser?  Nevertheless the punchline works really well - again. This is becoming one of my favourite bits and the more time I take with it and the more hoarse I make my voice when doing the impression of the mafioso - the better it goes.  

The room gets very hot today. Around 40 minutes in I can really feel the audience slumping. I am aware of mopping sweat off my brow at once point. During “Tipping Point” at the mention of Hugh Grant a woman gets up to leave. I comment on the fact that she is a fan of Hugh Grant and is leaving in disgust. The doors seem locked. She cannot get out. She stands at the back. Attention is on her. I wonder whether to let her slip out in peace but now there is a event, i think I called it right. The staff release the doors. She goes. Her partner shouts out that she was too hot. It is too hot. I adlib around how your never really know why people leave and you are always left wondering as  a performer why they walked out. This raises more laughter than any other part of the show. 

I felt show today strongest of run so far so I am little disappointed by the polite but not overwhelming enthusiastic round of applause at the end. 

After Gig

I was more aware of facial expression today and the performance felt more varied. I was more aware of microphone technique and this time it was sometimes in the correct position when i checked and hadn’t drifted out of position. 

Audience energy was high at start and then went down a bit at around ‘Vicious circle of debt’ (approx 20 mins in)  and then went down again around ‘Feel the fear’ ( approx 40 mins in). Not sure if this is heat the led to energy drops but I would say there are still loads of bits with not strong enough outs  particularly in middle section. 

Scrapyard, adults are weak, feel the fear, all need better outs. 

Putting section about kids with sweets at the end is the wrong place and this logic fails to work appropriately. But the end stuff about comedy being a gamble needs a stronger out.