I performed my first ever hour-long show on Sunday and was expecting it to go well, because it often is the way when you do something like this for the first time. Reality catches up with you the second or third time you try it and gives you a hard slap in the face, so I have that look forward to.
It did go well but was a step into the unknown, because it was the first time I was able to try out ideas that have been in my head for a few months. I was very fortunate to have a warm crowd who were prepared to go with me on tangents that didn’t end up going anywhere.
I am cheating somewhat by calling it an hour-long show, because it is only really roughly 30 minutes of me doing stand-up and then the rest is a quiz.
I wasn’t totally sure how the quiz was going to go. The plan was, and remains, to get the audience to write their answers on A5 whiteboards. Then I’d get them to show me their answers at the end of each round and I’d mark them from the stage area. However, this particular room took a little more negotiating than I anticipated and I had to go around to the teams individually. It wasn’t quite as smooth as I’d hoped, but teething problems were inevitable. The advantage is that I know how my room will be in Edinburgh already and had it in mind when thinking up this method.
For a first preview, it was exactly what I needed. There’s a lot I need to work on, but there’s enough in there to make a show I’m pleased with and I have a few months to get it into shape.