Penultimate Night at the Edinburgh Fringe

I wasn't going to blog again until I was back home down south, but thanks to a couple of comments today I started to think about all sorts of bits and pieces.

Years and years ago, when I was working in the Working Men's Clubs and Night Clubs, audiences and club organisers and owners used to vote for who they thought were the best acts in various categories.

I won quite a few of those awards, usually as either the Speciality Act of the Year, or Entertainer of the Year. One year I was told that I had come tops in 5 sections but as they had a gala night to show all the best acts they could only give me one of them otherwise the show would be over too quickly.

Now why did that jump into my mind? Well, tonight the show sold out and I had a great night on stage doing what I do best, and the audience were rocking with laughter. It's a great feeling.

I knew that I had a lot to do after the show so I nipped out quickly to say 'bye to those who hung back for autographs and photos. So many of them were still on a high and were very complimentary. I had a lot of gags with them and then one guy said that he and his family had been to see quite a lot of comedians at the Fringe, but that none of them got as many laughs as I did. Others in the crowd agreed.

Now that got me to thinking about how we categorise the shows we see. The BBC were the same when I pointed out that after many years of getting people on stage and talking to them, I would like to present a chat show. 'You can't do that. You are the magician.' I did point out that Johnny Carson and Dick Cavett, the two top chat show hosts in America, had been magicians but they wouldn't have it.

Up here of course they have the comedy awards but I know I would never be considered, nor would any other magician, because..... 'You are the magician'.

One comment I gathered along the way was that they laughed at Tommy Cooper when his tricks went wrong and they laugh at me when it goes right!

I wonder if Tommy Cooper would have had a chance...

I went back in and I have crated everything ready to go into the van tomorrow. The final show tomorrow will have some different routines in it and we will be able to get on the road very quickly afterwards. See you in the South!

A Great Day of Shows at Edinburgh Fringe

We had to be up and out reasonably early this morning in the pouring rain to visit Dave Gorman in the studios where he was broadcasting on Absolute Radio. Great questions and great fun. Dave, off air, was after me to teach him the Come Back Rubber Band but we had to dash away to do a podcast show from the Gilded Balloon so I guess he will have to take a rain check on the lesson.

A quick taxi trip to the venue and we watched others doing their thing before it was our turn to be interviewed. I like doing these types of show mostly because I never know what they are going to ask or where the chat will go. It's like my own show; I don't have a fixed script and I do tend to walk the line just about every night.

To my amazement we then had the afternoon off so we went back to the flat, talked to the rabbits, loafed about and then went off to our venue where I set up the show more quickly than I have been doing over the last few days. The routine is settling in.

Thanks to the rain we only had about half a house but they were not only really international and all ages but they were great, laughed in all the right places and the show felt good.

Whilst the Liberace show was setting up on stage we packed up and headed back to the flat with the rabbits and then the phone started ringing.

I had agreed to do a charity gig for Radio Forth and the show was in the 3000 seat Playhouse Theatre. They had phoned our PR, Bex, concerned that I wouldn't be able to 'fill' the stage and wanting to know if I wanted them to transport something big to the theatre. Bex tried to tell them that I was a pro and they shouldn't worry and then came a few 'buts'....

We were back to a problem I have experienced quite a few times and I am not alone. It's an oddity. The bookers want me and presumably they want me for what I have done, for my experience and expertise in my particular field. Even in TV the magic shows are controlled by producers who have very little or no knowledge of magic, which is a unique theatrical art form and as I am always saying, provided the effect baffles people, the magic doesn't really matter at all. It is never the trick, it is always the performer(s).

So off I went to the theatre...............................with my pack of cards in my pocket. I walked into the stage door, asked for a mike on a stand, asked whether there was stage access from the audience (there wasn't) and organised helpers to show people out of the auditorium and up to the stage, waited for an intro and walked onstage. I knew exactly what I was going to do and as always in a large theatre, made my smile, my gestures, my body language all much bigger than for my normal venue.... and went for the slot like a rocket.

I did an audience rousing version of a trick called 6 card repeat and followed that up with my comedy version of Cards Across with two lovely young women I picked out the audience. We all had a ball, the audience were rocking and at the same time they were all baffled. Job done.

Apart from my own show we have tomorrow off from interviews etc. Time to regroup!

Another day, another show at the Edinburgh Fringe

I had to be up and about early this morning and I am so glad I was. It turned out on a Saturday in Edinburgh, before 10, the city is wonderfully quiet and this morning was sunny. Most enjoyable as I walked to the venue to start to work on the prop that went awry last night.

Having got it dismantled and worked out what I needed I grabbed a taxi to Wonderland. No, that's not another town; it's the name of a great model and toy shop in a part of the city I had never been to. They were more than helpful and very friendly. I got bits and pieces and they sent me a hundred yards down the road to Ali's and again, all friendly and helpful.

Another taxi back to the venue and I managed to repair the table. All was well again and today's show was fully back to normal. Despite the pouring rain we managed to get a goodly audience who laughed in all the right places. The show shot by very quickly and Debbie and I meandered home in the torrential rain. My clothes, as I type, are hanging up in the boiler room to dry.

Gil and Hopper were brilliant today. I held the carry case up to their new home and said 'Show Time' and they both jumped in straight away. They are a constant source of surprises and laughter.

It's still raining and Debbie and I have to go out to do a midnight show with Lorraine Chase!

I hope this rain keeps up........................................................................then it won't come down!