Tits, Blood & Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup
Saturday 12th August
I spent most of the day wandering around town.
I had a drink in the VIP bar at the Assembly Rooms. Marketed as an exclusive hang out for Fringe performers it was quiet enough and it was also £3.10 for a Bacardi and Coke.
I was politely ushered out of my big comfy seat by an American director who was about to lay into her cast. After I moved to a nearby table for her, she came over to ask for a piece of paper. "You can tell I'm a director, huh?"
Before our show I went in to see Tits and Blood by Neil Labute. It was performed by the Washington and Lee University Theater General Players, of which Labute is a member.
I like Labute's stuff, though they often have a strong misogynistic streak through them. This production was no different and I couldn't help thinking that a lot of the monologues were knocked out for shock purposes.
The play addressed the audience directly throughout and it centered around what was real and what was unreal. There is a cheeky twist to it as the actors turn the conceit on the audience. I spoke to a girl last night who had just come out of it and she was outraged that the play seemed to mock the audience and their intelligence.
However if you just watched as a play from the beginning and not as a real world piece, what you get out of it is a decent play with some good lines and an excellent cast.
Our show was attended by an audience of about 13 or 14. 9 of who had come to see me. They included the irrepressible Grant 'Are You Doing a Matinee?' Cadger. I was reminded of his sell out antics in the Gang Show at the Kings (in 1987) and the pressure was on for me to live up to that kind of class.
Tonight was a definite improvement on the previous nights and for my part I really enjoyed it. Whether the critics will remains to be seen. We're having a daft laugh on stage. Sometimes that translates to the audience and sometimes it doesn't.
I won't spoil it for anyone who is coming to see it, but in one scene I throw something onto the stage while in the wings. Tonight I decided to throw something completely different on. I realised it would probably make Graeme and Victoria laugh more than the audience, but I thought 'why not?' They managed to hold it together though.
The cafe had an excellent Roasted Pepper and Tomato soup on, though I had to explain what margarine was to the girl at the counter, with the use of mime and bread. The toilets at the venue are also out of order again.
Tommy got to see for himself Big Keith from The Office hitting the puggy hard in Rush. I speak the truth here.
As for anything else notable, I saw Alastair McGowan trip up outside our venue. I was also handed a flyer by two young American girls for their musical recital. "Come and see our show!" The proceeded to do this all along the Grassmarket, handing one to a homeless guy in the process. "Come and see our show!" I suspect that they have never seen a homeless person in their lives. I heard him mutter "Six pounds," before he threw the flyer away.
So we have Sunday night now and then we're off for a day. Apparently there is a reviewer coming tomorrow night. Hmmmm.
I spent most of the day wandering around town.
I had a drink in the VIP bar at the Assembly Rooms. Marketed as an exclusive hang out for Fringe performers it was quiet enough and it was also £3.10 for a Bacardi and Coke.
I was politely ushered out of my big comfy seat by an American director who was about to lay into her cast. After I moved to a nearby table for her, she came over to ask for a piece of paper. "You can tell I'm a director, huh?"
Before our show I went in to see Tits and Blood by Neil Labute. It was performed by the Washington and Lee University Theater General Players, of which Labute is a member.
I like Labute's stuff, though they often have a strong misogynistic streak through them. This production was no different and I couldn't help thinking that a lot of the monologues were knocked out for shock purposes.
The play addressed the audience directly throughout and it centered around what was real and what was unreal. There is a cheeky twist to it as the actors turn the conceit on the audience. I spoke to a girl last night who had just come out of it and she was outraged that the play seemed to mock the audience and their intelligence.
However if you just watched as a play from the beginning and not as a real world piece, what you get out of it is a decent play with some good lines and an excellent cast.
Our show was attended by an audience of about 13 or 14. 9 of who had come to see me. They included the irrepressible Grant 'Are You Doing a Matinee?' Cadger. I was reminded of his sell out antics in the Gang Show at the Kings (in 1987) and the pressure was on for me to live up to that kind of class.
Tonight was a definite improvement on the previous nights and for my part I really enjoyed it. Whether the critics will remains to be seen. We're having a daft laugh on stage. Sometimes that translates to the audience and sometimes it doesn't.
I won't spoil it for anyone who is coming to see it, but in one scene I throw something onto the stage while in the wings. Tonight I decided to throw something completely different on. I realised it would probably make Graeme and Victoria laugh more than the audience, but I thought 'why not?' They managed to hold it together though.
The cafe had an excellent Roasted Pepper and Tomato soup on, though I had to explain what margarine was to the girl at the counter, with the use of mime and bread. The toilets at the venue are also out of order again.
Tommy got to see for himself Big Keith from The Office hitting the puggy hard in Rush. I speak the truth here.
As for anything else notable, I saw Alastair McGowan trip up outside our venue. I was also handed a flyer by two young American girls for their musical recital. "Come and see our show!" The proceeded to do this all along the Grassmarket, handing one to a homeless guy in the process. "Come and see our show!" I suspect that they have never seen a homeless person in their lives. I heard him mutter "Six pounds," before he threw the flyer away.
So we have Sunday night now and then we're off for a day. Apparently there is a reviewer coming tomorrow night. Hmmmm.
posted by Tom at Sunday, August 13, 2006
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