It is time for an update after now performing at Edinburgh Fringe for one week.
The delay in between entries has been caused by me working in the day job for the first full week, with my show sandwiched between a full working day. This means that when I finish my show at 2pm, I have to clear all my pub quiz stuff away, then walk briskly, or often run, to the train station to make sure I catch my train back to the oh-so glamorous student halls where I’m staying again to start work at 3pm. It is far from ideal and means I am feeling a little detached from the fringe at the moment, but it does mean I can afford to be up here for the month. Plus being a little detached from the madness and intensity that Edinburgh Fringe invokes is no bad thing.
It also means I have been eating much healthier since being removed from the temptations of macaroni pies and other delights available in an instant. So far, I haven’t found it quite as tiring as previous years. That said, I am looking forward to 20 August when I am officially on annual leave and can relax a bit, or at least try to.
Onto the shows, they have all been going well. Almost all the material is landing consistently, with the exception of one bit that I have so far failed to crack, and I can’t drop it because it ties in with the pub quiz. There has yet to be a duff show so far, but I don’t want to speak too soon, especially as I am having someone come today to film the show.
In terms of audience numbers, they have been up and down. I have had my two biggest audiences ever for the show in the first week, with the third set to follow today. This includes two Saturdays. But then numbers tail off during the week. What is also particularly nice is that a couple of dozen people these past few days are repeat business, with many having one to see the show in previous years – some multiple times, but still have yet to win.
I have sold more tickets in total than I had at this stage a year ago, but the final week of the fringe is looking very quiet indeed at the moment. That can change and likely will, but you can never get comfortable or complacent at Edinburgh Fringe. It is a brutal mistress. It will always send surprises your way, and expectations are repeatedly subverted. All you can do is keep working hard and keep your fingers crossed, which is appropriately painful if done for a month.