We are delighted to welcome our final week Guest Blogger at the Edinburgh Fringe. Gavin will be continuing his thoughts and reflections back in Australia.
Gavin’s Fringe comedy show is called Mediocre as F*ck
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most mediocre of all? In his 2016 debut show, Gavin shared the story of his struggle to accept the reality of his own mediocrity. Now totally committed, his quest to embrace mediocrity scales new heights. Gavin explores more of life’s inescapable cliches, as well as the many quirks and contrarieties of human nature. He looks into the absurdity of privilege with tales of the good, the bad and (especially) the ugly, in his unique dark philosophical way. Standing head and shoulders among the rest, he is mediocre as f*ck.”
Follow Gavin on Twitter: @gavlind
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19th August 2017 – Walking in Fresh
Arriving in the last week of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for a run of shows is like Louis XIV entering court at Versailles. Fresh, resplendent and adored by all. At least that is what I imagine it will be like. As opposed to walking in on a joke I’m not part of.
Doing a show in this way is largely about doing it for your own pleasure.
There are things you’ve already missed about the fringe experience at this late stage. The angst of getting ready for opening night. Jostling for prime flyering position on the Royal Mile. Muscling for space in the green room with productions who need ALL the space because their show is more important than yours. You’ve missed out on the tension and excitement of meeting the press, including the privilege of meeting fellow artists in the long winding queues of expectation.
Mercifully I will have (hopefully) avoided the dreaded fringe ills. That special variety of bacteria and virus that fringe performers know all too well, which is possibility unique to Edinburgh.
No doubt I’ll walk into the festival atmosphere immediately envious, if not jealous at seeing flyers with their stapled reviews on them. The bragging rights of the lucky few that says “I feel achieved for my efforts”. And good on them indeed. It’s a badge worth celebrating, because that has not been the experience or outcome for most.
I would have missed out on the camaraderie of those who have been committed to the experience from beginning to end. The shared joy, commiserations, triumphs and defeats that come with pouring everything you have into your craft in an environment that is equal parts savage and generous. There are few times you’re thankful that you’re a stand-up comedian. The nature of the craft allows you to adjust your material and delivery in real time, a luxury that the other performing arts do not have. Trudging through the fringe with your show that just isn’t meeting the outcomes you’d hoped for is a bruising and cruel experience. Couple that with the fringe ills and you see why Edinburgh is for the brave.
I’m doing a part run at the Fringe this year of my stand-up show Mediocre as F*ck (Sweet Venues Grassmarket 21-28 August @ 7pm). I get to waltz in expectation free. My show doesn’t qualify for awards, will likely struggle to build an audience and is unlikely to be reviewed. But that doesn’t bother me too much. I fundamentally do my show for me. To remind me that my mediocrity will always sink to new highs.
So come the final week of fringe, you will immediately be able to tell those that have just arrived. Spritely, smiling and slightly smarmy. Sans Louis XIV regalia.
