I was heading down to Southwark on the tube for another preview. Sometimes taking the Underground can be as good exercise as walking. Not only did I have to carry my bucket of programmes up to White City, due to the continued closure of Shepherd's Bush, but when I changed at Bond Street to go on the Jubilee Line down to London Bridge, I got all the way to the platform before discovering that the line was closed beyond Green Park. So I walked back to the Central Line to head for the Northern Line instead.
At Tottenham Court Road I walked down to the southbound platform, only to remember much too late, that London Bridge is on the Bank branch of that particular line.
I could have gone south and then changed at Kennington and headed north, but instead I wearily slogged back to the Central Line, just in time to miss a train.
Finally I got off at the right station and got on a train that would take me where I needed to go. But I had probably done 25 minutes of walking on my journey. Which I was pleased about, because I need all the exercise I can get. But it meant I arrived at the gig only about twenty minutes before I went on.
Still. How interesting was that?
I've never been to
Southwark Playhouse before, but I really liked it as a venue. It's a bit hidden away down a little alley and there's not much sign that it's a theatre from the outside, but it's an interesting space, in all the catacombs behind London Bridge station. The staff were very friendly and welcoming and had left sweets in the dressing room, which was a nice touch.
And the gig was probably the best preview yet. Apart from the fact that it ran for about 70 minutes and I didn't get all the material in, pretty much everything went well and it zinged along. I am still reading some bits of it, but am getting more confident with the parts that I know and though it petered out a bit at the end, the more sentimental bits did seem to touch people. I think I might have seen one woman wiping away a tear. Which is an interesting experience for a comedian. I have, on occasion, made people cry with laughter, but just making them cry might seem to be against the job description. It's great though to be doing stuff with some emotional resonance, in amongst the wank jokes.
I have 16 more previews before Edinburgh. This should be plenty of time to knock it into shape. I have a good feeling about this one!
To book tickets for Edinburgh visit
the edfringe website.
