It doesn’t really feel like Edinburgh Fringe is happening at the moment, largely because I’m not there. But also, because the Fringe hasn’t been a focal point of my life for the past three years.
That will change this week when I go up there for a five-night visit. It will be the first time I will have got the train from London to Edinburgh since 2015, which feels like a ridiculous statistic. I always liked getting the train up there as it’s a nice route. Well, I liked the part where I was on the train and not the mad, stressful scramble to get to the platform. My first full run at the Fringe in 2011 is always such an abiding memory, where I was carrying 5,000 flyers in a carrier bag, only to have the bag split before I reached the train station.
From 2016 onwards, I was based in Manchester and drove up. While it was a lot of effort on my part, I found it less stressful in that I didn’t have a mad dash to the train station first thing in the morning. I could also take much more stuff with me. Although this didn’t include flyers after 2011 when I made sure I got them all delivered to my venue to avoid any potential incidents with split carrier bags.
This afternoon, I’ve been booking tickets for shows. I’ve known a number of the performers for years and am refusing to ask for a comp, as I know how much money they are likely losing. And sometimes, just seeing that you’ve sold one extra ticket can give you the dopamine hit you need to get through the day, even if you could do with a few dozen more.
I’m going to try and avoid rushing around doing too much. But then that’s easier said than done. And I’m bracing myself for the fact that I may be trying to fill out an application for a 2023 show on the train home.