It was sunny in Edinburgh today which was brilliant but also strange. I took my raincoat with me just in case, I have no faith in the Edinburgh weather.
I started seeing shows today, they're still all previews, some shows haven't got started yet. I was seriously expecting tiny crowds but was really pleasantly suprised. The first show I went to was Brian Gittins: Roadside Cafe Owner. I've seen Brian before and know I like him but I've only ever see him do 15-20 minutes slots before. This was a whole hour of unadulterated Gittins and his first show in Edinburgh (or as he puts it, his dayboo). As expected, I loved it. He's a character act, an anti comic and very silly, not usually my cup of tea but he does it so well and his Okey Cokey with audience members makes me hurt I laugh so much. Well worth checking out if you are up here. Support the new talent.
The next show I went to see was another character act who I saw for the first time at last year's Fringe and really enjoyed, Ivan Brackenbury, the hospital radio DJ. His show was still very much in the preview stages. This show it involves two other people who he obviously hasn't had much chance to practice with yet so it is incredibly shambolic. The character is so brilliant though and he's a brilliant performer so you forgive the shambles and enjoy the jokes that did work. This year, in order to add some variey, as he's been criticised for his shows being to similar, he has a woman giving birth to triplets on stage, this involves quite an impressive mechanism which failed him slightly yesterday. It all added to the charm. No doubt once it's been practiced a little more and everything is brought together properly it'll be another great Edinburgh show.
The last show I saw was Andrew Lawrence. His show this year is called Soul Crushing Vicissitudes of Fortune! Do you have any idea what that means? I don't. I've always loved Andrew Lawrence. I love his venomous rants and the outrageous abuse he hurls at people (not audience members, people in his everyday life). To call him a misanthrope isn't enough really. He doesn't just dislike people, he despises people and he tells you in a very long winded, articulate and foul way. Despite all this (and his 'rapists eyes') I find him very likeable. Amoungst all the rage and vitriol there are glimmers of something lovely. He tells you all about the downsides of being a stand-up comedian, the low income, the awful audiences, the travelling, the reviewers etc but then tells you how much he enjoys being up on stage in front of nice audiences. He always seems genuinely pleased to have had a good audience in. He is a grumpy man, he admits it. it's just the way he looks at the world. In my opinion, he is someone who deserves alot more recognition than he gets. His shows are always well thought out and prepared, I, and the rest of the audience, are always laughing the whole way through, sometimes uncontrollably. I prefered last years show to this one but it is still a show I'd highly recommend. The hour flew by.
I feel a lot better now I've started seeing shows, it feels like Edinburgh now although I'm not used to the big gaps between shows, I'm used to being rushed off my feet. I didn't really do much other than see shows. I had a lazy and relaxing morning waiting for shows to begin so not much else to report on.
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