This time at the Fringe was the most enjoyable I’ve every had. I got back yesterday and missed lots of people straight away. Luckily, they all live in London, so I’ll see them soon, but there’s something about knowing they’re just up the road for an impromptu coffee/ beer/ gig/ vegetarian that makes it all seem so much easier. Oh well. Missing them’s nicer than being sick of them, and much, much nicer than them being sick of me. I’m sure that was about to happen. A week was perfect that way.
The dog had fantastic fun. The apartment was gorgeous. All my own gigs but one went really well and I saw Stewart Lee, Dan Antopolski, Bridget Christie, Miles Jupp and John Bishop as well as the hilarious King of Everything (which my fella and I had to go back and see again…had to). Not only funny/ delightful shows, but funny delightful people. I saw lots of other things which weren’t as funny or delightful but this blog’s not about them.
It seems that this festival can be done with a lightness of touch and integrity that also allows for perspective . You can be silly, have a great time and still do a great show. You can take the business side of things seriously and still remember how ridiculous this (and any festival) actually is. Of course, there was a lot of fast-talking, schmoozing, arse-licking, ego-massaging, own-review-reading, hype-believing, racketeering nonsense too, but they say you can’t have the light without the dark.
That sounds more creepily fervent than I meant it; let’s just say that my faith in funny people has gone some way to being restored.
