My day off. Twelve down, twelve to go!
I went to some more shows. Everything I have seen this year has been excellent and today's shows were no exception. I had been doing interviews in the afternoon and had been thinking of going back home for dinner, when a friend cajoled me into going to see
Terry Saunders. I am glad I went, it was a terrific show. Saunders reminded me a little of a bewhiskered Stephen Merchant and his story about loneliness, missed opportunities and an unsuccessful optician was sweet and satisfying and reminiscent of one of my all-time Fringe favourites, Ben Moor. Saunders is an engaging and draws you into his world immediately. It's another of those shows that is celebratory of life, uncynical and (you can't help but call it) heartwarming. I am really pleased to see the new generation of comedians moving away from the vindictive nastiness that seems to typify much recent TV comedy output (I am talking about you, Channel 4 - yeah, you don't like it when I diss you, do you?). He also does a bit about pretending to be in Quantum Leap, and anyone who thinks of
something like that is a genius as far as I am concerned. You can find out more about Terry
here, but please go and support this excellent show if you're up here. I don't think I have seen Terry before and that's where Edinburgh is a wonderful and inspiring thing. All these little rooms with tiny bits of magic happening -admittedly a lot more where a load of shit is going on - but these little pearls of genius are littered throughout the city, this one in one of the dank and dark cave-like venues at the Baby Belly.
I then went home and cooked my dinner, before heading out into the wet streets (my trousers dragging in the puddles) to see my flat-mate Sarah Kendall's show,
"My Very First Kidnapping". Sarah is a terrific comedian, but this year she is doing a show which is a hybrid between stand-up and theatre, telling the true-ish story of a University initiation ceremony that nearly went horribly, horribly wrong. She is joined in her tale by the excellent character actors Justin Edwards and Jo Neary and it's a sharp, hilarious, tightly rehearsed piece, which although pleasantly silly, actually holds the audience with genuine dramatic tension. Whilst we know that Sarah can not possibly have ended up dead in a ditch by the end of the show, there is still the definite feeling that something terrible is just about to happen.
That's another great thing about Edinburgh, seeing someone you know for doing one thing, having a go at something new. My favourite things were a brilliantly executed 58 point turn (with no car on stage) and Jo Neary's funny faces. It's also got a kicking dance routine in it, which you'd have to have a heart of stone not to love. It's well ace. Go see. Unless you are only here for one night, in which case go see me.
I really must try to see more shows this year. I have massively enjoyed the ones I have got to, but seeing five shows in two weeks is not that impressive a tally. Probably more than I saw last year. It can be a bit mentally tiring to concentrate on other people's work when you're doing your own stuff, but when the things are this good it is very inspiring. This is an amazing festival and it's almost intimidating when the quality of work is this high. Come on up and join the fun. There's still a dozen days to go.
