Edinburgh without Edinburgh
Blogging from half-time at the Birmingham show. It has been fun so far and hopefully will end up being good enough to erase the memory of the Birmingham gig in last year’s tour, which was my least favourite show of the run. I was glad to see that yesterday’s very subjective roundup of the potential highlights of Edinburgh produced quite a lot of Comments where people shared their own tips. I would like to wholeheartedly accept the remarks of those who pointed out that it should have been Edward Axcel, not Edward Excel. I’ve been looking at too many spreadsheets.
I thought it might be worth mentioning that if you’re one of the several people who said ‘ohh, now I wish I was coming to the Fringe, boo hoo’, a lot of people do Edinburgh previews in smallish clubs around the country, to hone their material before the high-pressure and often financially compromising month ahead. Many of these shows take place in and around London, but there are also plenty in the likes of Bristol, York, and here in Birmingham (the Glee Club, where I am now, has an impressive calendar of previews for July). If you make it to one of these, you’ll see a show that’s only marginally less polished than the finished article, for a lot less money, and with the added bonus that when you leave the building, it isn’t 100 percent guaranteed to be pissing down with rain. So there’s a tip. I sometimes think with a bit of planning, in fact, you could have a great Fringe without actually making the trip to Scotland at all.
Back on stage for me.
Posted by Rachael on June 18, 2011
I like that idea, I have plans to go to at least one preview show.
Posted by Andy H on June 13, 2011
As someone who spends a lot of time in Edinburgh I can advise that the probability of rain at any given point in August is just a bit lower than 100%!
I’d put it at 99.3%…
Posted by sarahthemonkey2 on June 13, 2011
I’m not keen on a lot of heat or sun so probably living in Scotland does cater to that even though we do get some nice weather. Sometimes. However I will just keep hoping that people can come to us rather than having to go to them.
Posted by Christa on June 13, 2011
Last night was a great gig as always – and that includes the last Birmingham gig (I still don’t understand why you didn’t think that one went well Mark – we thought it was fab).
Thanks for the laughs – keep doing what you’re doing.
Posted by Lydia on June 13, 2011
I’m glad your show went better. I can afford as far as Exeter. Lol. But that’s fine. I will hopefully be getting a job in a place that can actually afford to pay me soon.
Posted by Laurs on June 13, 2011
Mark, I had a bloody awesome night last night, even if it was a a bit scary having to part of the chair game, then failing so miserably at it when bribed with cake…
I really enjoyed your last Birmingham show too, but I will concede that this crowd were a bit more ‘on your side’ for want of a better phrase.
Also, I loved loved loved your t-shirt, amazing! Anyone who hasn’t yet seen this show, you’re in for a treat.
xx
Posted by Kate W on June 13, 2011
You can definitely manage to see the vast majority of shows either as previews, or in Sept/Oct with a bit of planning. But despite that (and the rain, and the massive expense) I’m still hooked on going up there….
Hope everyone has a great time at the launch tomorrow. I have to miss it for tedious work reasons, so shall come to the later book event. Wah.
Posted by Kathryn on June 13, 2011
I’m fairly certain no-one warms up in Belfast. Or in the back end of Cornwall. Maybe in the future I will be lucky enough to live in England, or something.
Hope the shows are going well and all that.
Posted by Hannah Mae on June 12, 2011
That’s good to know, re Edinbugh. I’m most bitter about being too poor to go this year and haven’t stopped moaning about it to anyone who’ll listen. I’ll kid myself that, in seeing lots of previews, I’m not missing out – not even on the weather, because Bristol appears to have turned into a pond.
Hello, by the way! I haven’t commented in ages. But I’m still here. It’s likely that I’ll be stopping by in Foyles tomorrow, actually, even though I already have a signed copy of Eleven. Perhaps you can sign my arm or something. See you there…
Posted by Misha on June 12, 2011
Aces evening. Thanks love x
Posted by Jen on June 12, 2011
Manchester Comedy Store has some good preview shows too…definitely worth a look!Good luck with the rest of the show!Jx
Posted by Alex on June 12, 2011
N’awww Birmingham Glee, my one time second home. I saw you headlining there a few years back Mark, and the same heckler got thrown out twice in one night. Odd. Then we saw you walking past when we were on our way back to the station and my friend made me want the earth to open up and swallow me by yelling “Mark!” across the street and making you talk to us.
This was in my cripplingly shy days.
Posted by Rachel/Pandora on June 12, 2011
But Mark, at your last gig in Birmingham you got to meet me! And Helen! And you got a present! I hope that sort of makes up for not enjoying the show itself.
I couldn’t make the Fringe, so flicked through the programme, and noted down what I would have seen if I’d been there, and then worked my way through the list over the following year. I managed to catch up with everything/everyone I wanted, and only felt I missed out on the Eleven launch. Not too bad, really!