Hilarity In Shoes
I ventured to Dalston last night for Hilarity In Shoes. It was 11pm before I got on stage and I made merry with the lateness of the hour, the tendency of the other acts to refer to the pub's strange decor (a large frame featuring no artwork, with actual artwork with newspaper cuttings on the ceiling) and generally feigned grumpiness towards the whole enterprise. It was mucking about basically, something that I think I need to do more often to loosen myself up a bit on stage.
Despite the small numbers (I counted three who could be recognised as punters), there was a community feel to proceedings with everyone sticking around for most of the show at least. I've gigged on a few occasions with Ian Lane, who rightly chastised me for my involvement in the Joker's final earlier in the week. He pointed out some 18 months previously I had said that I was done with new act competitions. But I can't resist coming back one last time, like Rocky.
I think Ian took it as a withering critique when I told him I thought he'd got better on stage, but I meant it. He was already a very good act, but his ease at bantering and improvising with the audience was particularly noticeable. He might refute this, but I think he's soon to be moving on to bigger and better things.
It was also good to see my friends Tom Mayhew and Patrick McCabe. Tom is developing a nice line in weirdness, a stage persona that's very much a heightened version of himself. Patrick has also written some nice withering lines since I last saw him. All in all, a fun night.
Despite the small numbers (I counted three who could be recognised as punters), there was a community feel to proceedings with everyone sticking around for most of the show at least. I've gigged on a few occasions with Ian Lane, who rightly chastised me for my involvement in the Joker's final earlier in the week. He pointed out some 18 months previously I had said that I was done with new act competitions. But I can't resist coming back one last time, like Rocky.
I think Ian took it as a withering critique when I told him I thought he'd got better on stage, but I meant it. He was already a very good act, but his ease at bantering and improvising with the audience was particularly noticeable. He might refute this, but I think he's soon to be moving on to bigger and better things.
It was also good to see my friends Tom Mayhew and Patrick McCabe. Tom is developing a nice line in weirdness, a stage persona that's very much a heightened version of himself. Patrick has also written some nice withering lines since I last saw him. All in all, a fun night.
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