I am one show in and have 23 to go. Today’s show got the 2025 run off to a good start.
It feels like the material is coming together. It still needs a bit of refining and pruning in places. But considering it’s only the third time I’ve done this incarnation of the show, it felt like the best one yet and that it’s all coming together. The audience was also great, which always helps things.
Thinking back to last year, almost half my audience was taken up by a law film, and I filled the room. I had about half the audience for my first show this year. I also had another couple of groups on work outings during last year’s run. Doing an earlier show means you can miss out on such work outings.
Things definitely feel harder this year. It is going to be the first fringe I will be using flyerers throughout the run. I have previously, miraculously, managed to largely avoid it and do very little promo for my show, but still end up filling the room. Sadly, those days are gone – at least this year.
I knew those sold-out laurels Jpegs wouldn’t be heading my way this year after I requested a cap on the capacity in my venue, which is about 50 lower than what it can hold.
In a way, this is nice. Because I don’t have that constant pressure of worrying about whether or not I pass the threshold to qualify, or how far I am away from it. Which is really silly, considering you can just make some fake laurels, and no one will ask any questions.
It is just a matter of digging in, getting on with it, and focusing on putting on the best show for the people who are there.