This week, I had two more gigs on consecutive nights as I attempt to rebuild my energy levels from Fringe-lag. And after last week’s first two disappointing Fringe gigs, the latest additions were big improvements.
The first one was Ruby Tuesdays, the monthly night I am involved in. With Langton uncharacteristically in employment and away on training, it was down to me to run the show. I had not set the room up before for a Ruby on my own and didn’t know exactly what I was doing. We normally have a large logo as the backdrop, but I couldn’t attach it properly so had to improvise, as you can see from this poor quality picture on the right.
As you can see, we also had no spotlight, so had to make do with a lamp vaguely lighting the stage area with added candles, so it resembled a séance. Thankfully none of the acts died, but I’m sure it would have been possibly to communicate with a few spirits from past deaths at the venue, including a few of mine.
From the original gang of about 15 who originally set the night up three years ago, there were just two left at this month’s show; and for one of us, it the final gig there for quite some time. I’m not referring to myself here, unless I did something to really annoy the management. No, I am talking about my co-comedy conspirator and Brighton show collaborator, Mr Luke ‘Luke Johnson’ Thompson. I mentioned a few months ago that he would be moving to Paris in September and those plans are now at an advanced stage. He was on MC duties and after the bumpy improv meltdown that occurred in Brighton the day we were reviewed, he was on top form and bowed on a high. I will miss him.
We were really lucky with our audience and had about 20 very friendly and receptive folk in. My set went well and I felt much better on stage than I did last week. I slipped in a new lines for a while and some of them got good laughs, one of them didn’t.
The next night, I had another gig and decided to roll out a few more new lines. They mostly did quite well there too in front of an audience of ten comics and two real people. It was a friendly gig and just what I needed in my comedy rehab programme.