I hear you dear reader “it was only three days!” Of course this is true from you position, your perspective, if you will. But perhaps I can ask you to spin around a look at it from our point of view. After all, when you walk a mile in someone else’s shoes – you’re a mile away and have new shoes.
Our week began first thing Monday morning. Not helped by the fact that we had had a particularly busy week before; four events Tuesday to Friday. I hesitate to mention that tradition forced us to go out and imbibe copious amounts of alcohol as men are expected to do due to one of our teams impending nuptials. Anyway, with one thing or another not everything was completely ready. We were expecting a delivery of books and merchandise for the tour, plus we had to send a crew into London to pre-build the stage for the Bloomsbury Ballroom shows.
The stage in the Bloomsbury Ballroom is a little small for the requirements of the show so three of us trundled down to London to extended and prepare. Adam (the GM of the Bloomsbury) looked a little shell shocked when he saw what space we had left him but got over it in a heartbeat “we’ll get em’ in” he said – and get em’ in we did.
The tour bus arrived at 8pm and we began to load the trailer, once again ‘a square peg in a round hole’ springs to mind – boy is it tight. We slept on the bus outside our unit so we would wake up ready to load in. Up and down, up and down (how we love stairs) but all in by 1015. Plenty of time…… Then a text Felix is bringing the sound check forward to 2.30pm – oops, better get a wiggle on. Although not entirely there we were ready enough for the sound check by 2.20pm, a couple of new poems and videos run through and all is well – final checks and preparations and off we jolly well go!
Everyone knows the analogy about the serenity of a swimming duck, on more than a few occasions that fits with this show, the trick is that hopefully the guests will never know – this is quite a technical show and can have its moment behind the scenes.
Show one was a success, yes-yes there were one or two glitches, however Felix was on form, the audience reciprocated and we were happy – as there are two shows here an early night (well early for us that is).
Wednesday and show two approaches, the venue has been cleaned and cleared, a little musical edit, fresh batteries and final checks we’re ready to go again. Felix came roaring on stage to tumultuous applause, once again in the moment and flying with the audience in the palm of his hand. A rocking first set finishing with (as ever) The Bearded Dwarf. It doesn’t matter not how many times we do this show young Tom next to me always wants to go early as the title of the poem (our cue) is mentioned in the opening spiel. On a personal note; it’s always a special show for me when Felix say’s Leftenant when he comes to the word Lieutenant in The Bearded Dwarf after all it is the Royal Navy that is the subject of this part of the poem – I live in hope. The rest of the show went off without a hitch – well at least not with any I’m willing to share.
Show over and time to strike the show, stripped and ripped and on the road by 1.30pm not to shabby we thought, considering the extra stage and lighting truss. A morning spent unloading the staging & truss and sorting out the belly locker of books and merchandise that should be named after the band in ‘The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy”. Then home to loved ones and a bath.
Friday – just past midnight. Back on the bus and on the road to Canterbury. You may think dear reader that that was excessively early but the show must go on and the M25 is less of a problem in the middle of the night. I looked out of my bunk window about 5am to see the University of Kent (back to sleep for a few hours).
Having checked on line Thursday I was quite looking forward to a loading bay and big door (and no stairs). Oh well; they have both but of course the road way leading to them won’t accommodate the bus – at least the long(ish) push is flat (Thank you to the helpful on-site crew – Carys Williams & Ben Green).
Although not a full house Felix seemed in fine form and burst on to the stage with enthusiasm rattling through the set with vigor and aplomb. I have however decided that the poem “when” will henceforth be called “When-ever we not ready” as every night he seems to jump into it faster and faster and with such a small snappy title it sure does get the adrenalin flowing at the control desk. Carys told me after the show that there was a lot of ‘tweeting’ going on during the break urging friends to come down to see the second half; so there may have been one or two ‘gatecrashers’. Apart from being wrong sided by the stage layout at halftime and the small impromptu shadow theatre the show went well and the intimate audience seemed very happy as they filed out of the auditorium.
Packed down and on the road by 12.30am.
The tour continues….
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