Wet wet wet
The day starts with just a bit of drizzle then continues for the next 14 hours.
Like having a shower fully dressed, if you’ve not tried it.
Gig number 1 – back at the pick of the Fringe, nice full room for this early show and great to see Sean Turner & Rob Mullholland give a great show making it easy for me.
Massive thanks at this point to Matt Fong or giving me some extra stage time whilst in Edinburgh, a great host of this show. It continues at The Counting house venue 11.45am throughout the festival.
I flyer people as they leave the show for Best in Class letting them know it will be back at the same venue and also in the same room at 3.30pm so they may as well stay.
Family and friends visit the city today and it makes a massive difference to see some familiar lovely faces again, treat ourselves to a big breakfast at The City Cafe then struggle to move, not because we are full but we’ve just about managed to be dry.
The rain continues.
Bumped into Angelos Epithemiou and I tell him that I admire his work but not enough for a selfie.
Flyering today for The Best in Class show is hard work, very hard.
Hardly anyone around due to the rain, people have already sought shelter in the pubs to watch the rugby.
The few that are walking the streets are soaking wet, the flyers are soaking wet, I’m soaking wet.
To encourage people to come and see the show at 3.30 I ask if they would like to be dry for an hour, gets a few laughs, probably won’t keep it in my set.
One woman looked at me with great sympathy, ‘you are so wet!’ she says.
‘ This is Correct!’ i reply.
‘I hope you become famous one day!’
(this will not stop me becoming wet but it was nice of her to say)
At this point I’m thinking we’ll not have a full room today, then TV’s Clive Anderson passes me by i greet him with a ‘Good Afternoon Sir Clive – working-class comedy today?’
We chat for a few minutes about the show, he takes a flyer. I notice he is not wet under the rain but interested in the show.
Gig 2 – Best in Class
By miracle of miracles in the day of modern miracles we sell out the show and have to turn people away.
Some confusion as I tried to reserve 3 seats for my wife, sister and friend.
They arrive at the gig and are told the room is full (staff not knowing these are the reservations)
Then, like a quote from the League of Gentlemen, ‘WE ARE ALL FRAN’S WIFE’S – they are allowed to enter.
Tom hosts the show and instantly gets big laughs, Charlie George smashes it and I have a wonderful gig. I tell my Phil Mitchell story.
I spot the woman in the crowd who took sympathy for me on the street, introduced her to everyone.
And there’s a moment, a special moment for this festival, I take a deep breath and ask her ‘Can you kindly tell everyone what you hoped for me earlier on?’
Looking at the audience I say ‘this is good, listen to this’
She pauses briefly ‘ I can’t remember……….. I’ve had 3 gin and tonics’
The final gig of the day after waving family and friends off is back for another Comedy Shorts gig, hosted by Tom Short. A great host full of energy and great crowd work interacting with everyone before bringing on the first act.
Only a short set so I talk about my fraud investigating work, two people leave.
‘probably benefit cheats’
I finish my set and leave, Tom wants me to tell everyone his favourite joke of mine so I am invited back onto the stage, I tell it and walk off.
Back into the rain, the rain is relentless and I am going to get wet again.
This wouldn’t happen if I was famous.
Fran Garrity is appearing at The Edinburgh free fringe – as part of Best in Class, Counting House (Loft) 3.30pm.
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