Yesterday saw the start of my side project show with Gwilum Argos, the 6.20pm Amuse Bulletin and it almost didn’t happen as we had to delay the start of the show by nearly 15 minutes to ensure we had people there to watch it.
So it was more the 6.35pm Amused Bulletin in the end and it wasn’t the most conventional of audiences either. Minutes before we were about to pull the show, nine people from Belgium were asked to leave one of shows at the venue next door after a couple of members of the group could not produce ID for their age.
We had to act quickly in order to get an audience and I should state that for legal reasons, they were definitely all 18, even if one particular member of the group gave the impression that he was half that age. I’m sure it was all due to a good diet and plenty of moisturising.
So we ended up with 11 people, as they were joined by two girls from Edinburgh, and a bloke with an impressive beard from Hackney, who was the outstanding audience member for his regular laughs. I can’t say that it was the best show I have ever been involved in, but it got us off to ‘a’ start at least and I have had far worst gigs.
With Dirty Laundry at 11pm, we managed to reach double figures in our audience for the first time in a few days with 14 people. We had to work really hard to get laughs as they were an audience of mostly smilers, with a few blank starers. But laughs were heard and I felt much better with the gig than I did the previous night. They all must have enjoyed the show, because we made £25 in our collection bucket. And experience dictates that if and audience do not enjoy the show, then they will not be as generous with their cash.
When I agreed to doing these two shows four months ago, I had no idea just how hard we would have to work to get audience. I was all braced for a lot of hard draft, as I know from experience just how much effort it takes to put on a show in Edinburgh, but my expectations have been exceeded. In hindsight, if I’d known this four months ago, then I probably would have chosen not to do my second show and focused all my efforts on Dirty Laundry.
Nevertheless, I am here now to do the shows and fully intend to make them as successful as I possibly can.
- Love and Langton’s Dirty Laundry is on at 11pm every day until August 25 at the Kilderkin, 67 Canongate, Edinburgh, EH8 8BS, as part of PBH’s Free Fringe. The 6.20pm Amuse Bulletin takes place at GHQ, 4 Picardy Place, Edinburgh, from August 20-25.