Looking forward, not back for a moment. This is going to be an amazing summer. I am taking not one, not two, but three plays to this summer's Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
In no particular order they are these:
Ruth Rich makes a long awaited return. She will reprise her 2010 sell-out run of Double Booked at the Pleasance Courtyard (Attic) and on alternate days will perform Something Fishy, the sequel. These two plays see Ruth grappling with teenagers, her own batty mother and the constant stream of bitchy one-upwomanship that Tim's mum doles out in daily doses. No worries about audiences seeing Something Fishy before Double Booked, both plays stand alone.
Meanwhile something else new will be happening at Sweet Grassmarket. HOUND DOG - a story inspired by the real life importation of Greek harehound, Juno, into our middle english family life. This is a touching, funny, uplifting play which exposes family tensions but the audience will leave wagging its tail. The musical interludes alone are enough to make you smile - Flanders and Swann, Noel Coward, Monty Python and a tiny bit of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
Winding backwards though, there have been quite a few moments to describe over the past season. Here are the highlights:
26th March, checking into the Lincolnshire Poacher Inn for an overnight stay. Five minutes later checking out again. Frankly I'd rather drive home than stay overnight somewhere where there's literally a bed and a shower and a summer weight duvet in minus 1 degree weather.
16 March, a return visit to the charming village of Ashton under Hill, Worcestershire. Every single piece of equipment was loaded into and out of the van for me. That's what I call hospitality.
14 March Bromsgrove School. A lovely ethereal audience who appeared from nowhere in the mist and disappeared in a similar way. During their stay they gave a lovely warm response and the show went as well as its gone anywhere, or was it all just a dream?
8 March sorry Ilmington, but I think it was probably a mistake to give the people sitting at the back an hour's drinking time before the start of the show. First prize for the most beautifully designed village hall and smartest nibbles though.
5th and 6th March Talks at Tysoe, Milverton and Napton. Fascinating how the same talk can produce such differing responses. It's great when people smile and look interested. Not so good when they fall asleep. But was I actually sitting in the sun outside Milverton Village Hall in early March? It's now late March and there's snow on the ground.
2 March Fenny Compton. Hats off to you guys for being wonderfully laid back about the news that if mum took a turn for the worse in intensive care I might not get there. But she didn't and I did and I hope I'll go back another day.
22 Feb West Haddon. Love you guys.
20 Feb Hollington Hub - This was fun. It was kind of a canal boat club. What lovely, lovely promoters though. Everything I did seemed to delight them more and more. It doesn't half help. Sheer delight.
9 Feb Shottery - the debut of the new song - One Prawn Risotto in E Flat Major and they liked it. Very friendly crowd that lot at Shottery. The subject matter of the play couldn't have been less tactful if it had been designed that way. Noone told me. Noone could have known.
1 Feb - Middleton Cheney. Interesting to turn up and discover that the stage is still being built. Not that I'm complaining, sometimes there isn't a stage at all. Backstage is fascinating too: the dressing room is the medical centre, wonderfully clean and I worry that I'll contaminate it; the green room is the staff room. Nowadays I judge a school on the orderliness of its staffroom. 10/10 here.
26 Jan Wellesbourne Village Hall in aid of Amasango Career School, South Africa. This was a magical day for me: doing something in my own village for a cause I totally believe in. Wellesbourne came up trumps. Teas served by flunkies in suits and ties, Warwickshire's best fish and chips for the evening performances. Total sum raised £2300 - that's what I call fundraising.
Winding back further the high and lowlights of the autumn season were:
Home Truths at Alleyns School: the debut of the double bill comprising Double Booked and Something Fishy. It went down well to an intelligent and savvy audience. Encouraged.
Ombersley performance: first prize for the best nibbles and one of the best audiences of late.
Perrott Hill. Don't go there. I didn't.
Brighton performance: weirdest night of my life performing in a house built like a ship to a silent audience. Just one of those things I suppose.
Langley School made up for everything. Guys you were amazing and I'm looking forward to coming back.
Cheers everyone. Roll on the summer. Roll on Edinburgh.
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