In 2007 I went to the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time ever. To say it was life changing is an understatement. Ever since I was a little Python-watching girl I dreamed of going to the Fringe. I had an idea of what it was: the place where famous people became famous, the city in which all of my favourite actors and comedians made their name. As I grew up and discovered Fry and Laurie, Mitchell and Webb and the Mighty Boosh, I knew I'd have to go to the wondrous place.
When I was at University I went to a few comedy nights on my own and met up with people I didn't know very well. They'd been to the Fringe and told stories of meeting Eddie Izzard and having wonderful times. We were eighteen and they'd managed to do the thing I wanted to do. And I lived much nearer to Edinburgh than they did! It seemed so unfair.
So when I finally got on the train a few years later it really meant something to me. I was excited, hyper and ready for the most amazing time of my life.
It was even better than I expected. We arrived, Richard and I, on a rainy (probably, I can't remember) Friday night and I was raring to go and wanted to see all manner of midnight shows. But when we got off the train and met Paul and headed out into the busy evening I wasn't too impressed. What I didn't understand until later was that Princes Street is not really where the Fringe is. It's where the shops are and it's nice but of course it is the Royal Mile that is the embodiment of the Fringe. We didn't end up seeing any crazy late night shows - we simply headed back and hung out before bed.
Saturday was our first real day there and we saw, looking back, hardly anything! We began with Adam Hart Davis at a book festival event (I love the book festival but just wish I didn't overlap with the Fringe as I barely get the chance to see anything there now!) I'm not sure why we saw him as neither of us is especially bothered about him but we did and he was okay - I think we were expecting more exciting experiments but it wasn't too brilliant. The Book Festival itself though is wonderful. It's all in lovely marquees and is in beautiful Charlotte Square Gardens. It has cool shops and bars.
After that we saw Justin Somper who writes the Vampirates books - it was a childrens' event which didn't put me off as I love his books - it should have put me off though. Singing pirate songs with children was somewhat embarrassing. Then we I met him it wasn't as amazing as I thought it would be.
I can't remember when we first went to the Royal Mile but I think we must have been there more that year than other years as we saw so few shows! The main thing I remember is the brilliant Goose, a suicycling, fire-juggling street performer from New Zealand. He is wonderful.
Even though nothing amazing had happened at this point it was still a great trip - there were comedians and actors everywhere. It was overwhelming and it was happening everywhere and I just wanted to get further in, nearer to the creativity and craft of it all.
We saw a play in a church in the afternoon called Writer's Block - it was a bit weird but mostly good. My main memory of it is that the protaganist was obsessed with this girl and started going out with her and could only write about her. Then he tries to rape her and she kills him with a typewriter!
But as we were leaving this church venue we were handed flyers for a show happening later that night: Hedwig and The Angry Inch. I was deliriously excited about that - and it began at midnight or some such hour and we were free. I assumed we'd go.
Next, the highlight of the day and one of the highlights of life was Stewart Lee: 41st Best Stand Up Ever - I'd never seen Stew before (nor had Richard though he'd loved him for a long time) and wasn't sure what to expect but I loved him. It was a wonderful show (in a purple cow which Lee clearly despised!) though the audience were somewhat annoying (constantly out for drinks etc!). This was the show about how he was voted 41st best stand up on a Channel 4 poll and how everything was going wrong. If you haven't seen it you should buy the DVD! Absolutely wonderful.
We didn't end up seeing Hedwig which I regretted forever (at least until we saw it this year!) instead we had a night out where I was so tired I could barely stand up (I realise now - that's simply how you feel throughout the Fringe!).
I'll save Sunday for another day.
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