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Blog: Show Thwartings

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The Edinburgh Fringe is rammed with literally BAZILLIONS (maths terminology) of shows, so you'd think it'd be easy to see LOADS, but the other day events seemed to conspire against us.

We got into town a bit early so popped to The Whisky Shop (NB not a show, actually a whisky shop) and then had a lovely half hour SAUNTERING up and down the Royal Mile. Sauntering is pretty much the maximum possible speed as you get apprehended by Nice Young Peope who are promoting their shows. I don't understand why people get so ARSEY about being given flyers - if you just take one it makes the flyerer SO happy, and you get to find out about all sorts of daft ideas that people have been planning all year. NOT taking a flyer just makes them a bit sad and you look like a miserable sod - everyone! Just take the flyers!!

Our own day of shows began with Dan & Dan Live. Anyone who's seen Dan & Dan's videos will know that there are some pretty fundamental technical difficulties to get over in order to do a LIVE show, but they did it fantastically well. The whole hour was a mind blowing technical feat, but it was also very very funny and a Proper Show, with a Proper Ending that I would LOVE to tell you about because it was SO CLEVER, but which you should really see for yourself, if you get the chance. It was ACE!

Then we went round the corner to see Nat Metcalfe who was facing his own technical difficulties, in the form of a DRILLING noise which had forced him to halt his show the day before. Luckily this didn't happen on our day and we had a DELIGHTFUL hour in his company, singing along to The Bit About The Theme Tune at the end.

It was here that things started to go AWRY. We went to get tickets for "Four Sad Faces" and a lady at The Pleasance pretty much DROVE us out of the normal queue, saying the box office at the back was much quieter. It was - because half of the two tills was BROKEN and, after waiting ten minutes, it turned out the OTHER was too. We eventually gave up and went back to find about a HUNDRED other people had joined the queue, so ended up not getting tickets - GRR!

After collected GUITARS and having some CHIPS we tried again,going to see a stand-up at The White Horse. As we sat down he came in and said "Guys, it looks like there's only three people coming..." at which point two more people came in. "Show time!" i thought, but still, after some moaning, he decided to cancel the show!! With five people there! At a free show! At The Edinburgh Fringe!! COMEDIANS!! He went on about how he had 30 people in yesterday and would probably sell out tomorrow, but what that had to do with US having turned up TODAY i do not know. We were both disgusted, and so sat in the bar and slagged him off while we finished our drinks. THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN WITH BANDS!

It was only when we left that I realised he'd been sat behind us. GOOD!

With our plans in disarray we headed off towards another show on the list, only to be accosted by TWO happy young flyerers who gave us Polite SELLS on their shows, with the result that The Text On My Leaflet realised she could see BOTH their shows, and did so - thus bringing up her daily average, servicing the quest to see 25 shows. PHEW! A victory for flexible planning AND delightful flyering!

I, meanwhile, strolled round the corner and up the hill to The Dram House Upstairs to do our show. It was RAINING and I had no pre-knowledge of anyone coming so wasn't expecting much, but ended up having a BRILLIANT show. We had a family in who'd come to see "Scott Of The Antarctic" (we get a few of these every day - it's the show from the Cheshire 4 Life chaps which is on after we finish) who LARFED UPROARIOUSLY at ALL the rude bits, so for the first time I got to STOP during "Come On Pussy" and do a PROPER innocent look of confusion. ACE. Also Steve, i think, is deliberately making one mistake a night so that he can PLEASE me with our In Character Recovery. It is making me VERY PLEASED INDEED!

After that we all regrouped at the confusingly named Assembly, George Square (NOT The Assembly Rooms, George Street which is RIGHT on the other side of town) which was a LOVELY area of Astroturf. Jenny and Dave rolled by, ALSO on their way to see Sara Pascoe, so we went in together. She was good - it wasn't the funniest show I've ever seen, but there's something about her that makes you more than happy to listen. I kept saying "engaging" on the way home, and I think that's as good a word as any to describe it.

KNACKERED again we headed home, while the Hewitts (Mrs M Hewitt having arrived at lunchtime) went for TEA. We all ended up back in the flat later on, looking through flyers and having an Intellectual Discussion, also glugging whisky. The Wonderful Window Of Wives was fully open, so this will doubtless be par for the course for the next week or so!

posted 11/8/2013 by MJ Hibbett

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