The Waiting Game

Well how are you on this Saturday? I'm a little tired personally. Also I'm a bit highly strung.

You see, I'm playing the waiting game, I've now done three shows and I've had three reviewers in... much like doing an exam there's nothing I can do now but sit and wait for their verdict. I'm terrible at this. I really care, I probably care too much what people think of my show, I want them to like it, and to like me, and I want to entertain them and give them the best show possible. A review is indeed only one persons opinion, but it really, really matters to me. I know we had Steve Bennett in from the excellent Chortle website. A website I love, a website I check daily, and he's a reviewer whose opinion really matters to me, I respect his reviews a lot, and he's never seen me, so I really hope he likes me.

It's scary these early days, as people review previews, and the show in a preview isn't at it's full state, but the reviews are needed to get people in, and therefore you have to have reviewers in to a show you might not be fully happy with just yet, however what they say, will stick, and stay with you for the rest of the run.

I was chatting to Tim Minchin about this last night, and we both think reviewers shouldn't be allowed to review a preview. Fortunately for me, my show was kinda set in stone by the preview, but I know Tim was moving stuff around right to his opening night last night. As a performer, you put your soul into a show, and therefore bare you soul for all to see on stage, the last thing you want is someone seeing a half baked show and then writing about it, as it can really effect your life. After all, performing is our life.

Tim, Rhod Gilbert and Lloyd Langford (all incredibly talent people) have all decided not to read their reviews. To just do the show and get on with it, not worrying what people have to say about it. I wish I was like this, but sadly I'm not. I wake up at about half 9 every day, and in a half awake state my stomach lurches, I feel sick and think, Oh God, are there any reviews out. Then I check. I check and I check. Reviews aren't everything, but there a good way to judge what people think of the show. The applause and smiling faces at a show should be enough, but for me, I really care and really need to know. It annoys me hugely that I'm like this. Maybe I should just try and ignore everything? Who knows.

That's a bit of a weight of my shoulders writing that. But I kinda feel good to get my thoughts out there

In a more positive note, Ben and myself along with Matt my promoter and his lovely girlfriend Joelle went to see Tim Minchin's opening night last night. We also met Matt Horne (off of Gavin and Stacey) who was seeing Tim. You'll be pleased to know I was shameless enough to plug my own show to him.

As expected Tim was depressingly brilliant. It often makes me think why do I do this when I see someone as good as him. Beautifully crafted songs, lovely stand up, and the nicest man you could meet all combine in this thought provoking, catchy, and musically astounding hour. He has an incredible poem as part of it, which exactly sums up my thoughts, and makes me wish I was doing stuff like that. Next year I think I might start to get deeper with my performance, and look at thought processes, and how we're conditioned to think the way we think.

After the show I had my first late night of the festival, having a drink and lots of bags of Crisps with Mr & Mrs Minchin, Matt, Joelle, Ben and Amy (also my promoter) that was lovely just to hang out and chit chat. One of the joys of the festival is the ability to do this, to see people, to meet new people, and to just enjoy life.

I was doing just that till I had to wake up early and hungover to do an interview for BBC Scotland, that actually went quite well despite my state.

For now I shall have a spot of lunch before going to do another interview with the Podcast Network and hopefully another good show tonight. We can but wait and see.

Chris x