The Oasis shows in Edinburgh have been and gone, which must surely mean that visitor numbers dramatically pick up? Well, not so. The issues with Edinburgh Fringe costs have been building and escalating for years, and are not solely due to the unfortunate scheduling of concerts by the grumpy Mancunians.
It has been a strange August so far. My audience numbers have been far less consistent than in previous years. The busy days have been really busy, but there has been a noticeable dip on the quieter days. I had my largest show audience ever of 80 today, with my smallest audience of 21 on Thursday. That said, it is strange how these things work.
I had 68 in on Friday. But it felt a little flat, taking a while for the audience to get going. Whereas the 21 I had in on Thursday were right where I wanted them from the start, and it turned out to be one of my favourite shows of the run. The smaller audience gave me more freedom to piss about and ad lib, which I always enjoy a little too much.
Then again, the 80 people I had in today gave me what was perhaps the best gig of the run. Although there have been a fair few contenders for that crown. I cannot complain about the audiences I’ve had. I have always been very lucky with the audiences I get for this show, and it continues.
This week, I also took HTWAPQ into the corporate world for the first time. I received a booking at the end of May for a business in Edinburgh. I was performing in the canteen of their offices. I thought it was going to be awkward and painful, which I often get a weird enjoyment out of. Not a conventional gig set up or audience, but it actually turned out to be rather nice. I am now hoping I can get a few more corporate bookings in the diary. Do you work somewhere? Good. Why not book me for your team-building events? Get in touch with your requirements and let’s talk.
I have nine shows left of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. The end is just about in sight and it has been a blast so far.