01/08/08
The Big Drop-off -
Categories: 1 show down, a mere 23 to go. I haven't done the big tour of the usual haunts yet that Stephen Grant has done (oh yes, I read the blog, Stephen. I don't know why I'm talking to him presuming he's reading this one. He's a busy man.), but I'm taking it easy at the beginning of this year's fringe. This is because (a) it's a long month and there's plenty of time, (b) I'm writing on Miranda Hart's radio show until later today, so that deadline has been looming, preventing much goingoutness thus far, and (c) I'm on pills for a dicky tummy till Saturday, so no booze till then anyway. So I shall begin dropping into the odd local tavern or too come this weekend. In the mean time I've been hiding away, apart from show-time.
So, show-time. Yesternight at 7pm it kicked off, and while I feel I did pretty well and was very happy with it, the big drop-off in the subject title is indeed about audience numbers. It's probably not the done thing to talk about it - it's the elephant in the room (I wish there was an elephant in the room - might have made it look a bit fuller) - but every comedian I've spoken to (and other shows, I expect) has been talking about this, or talking around the subject where they want to save face... numbers are down. Okay it's only one show in, and it's preview time, and Edinburgh's not full of tourists yet, but wallets are tightening, there are more shows than ever here, and just not enough audients to go round.
It's an even bigger drop-off for me, as I believe I hold the record for the ratio of 'audience at my last preview' to 'audience at first show in Edinburgh' - my last preview was on Sunday, to an estimated 600 people. That went pretty well. So the show last night to not far over 1% of that number made it all rather different.
I trust it'll pick up. I hope it does, as I'm happier with this show than I have been with any of my previous ones. I really enjoy performing it, and I feel I've got the right balance of a show with heart, a personal real story, yet still packed with as many quick jokes as I can squeeze in. And people have been leaving with a smile on their faces and a song in their hearts. So yes, I love my show this year. I just hope some others will take the plunge and see if they do too. Time will tell. Now time to hide away again. I shall emerge on Saturday night with a beer in my hand - coming soon to a bar near you.
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