Transfer Deadline Day Picture Exclusive.

This is how a transfer rumour grows...











Sorry.

I'm home.

28 shows in 26 days. Knackered. Pleased. Very proud. And back at home.

Another Two-Show Day

Edinburgh, originally uploaded by Dave Gorman.

It turns out I was lying when I said it was just 7.40pm every night and business-as-usual from here on in.

I loved the afternoon show on Saturday - and it sold out - and next Saturday evening is sold out too... so we've put another Saturday afternoon show in for next week.

So... it's business as usual for the week - and tickets are available for Monday onwards - but on Saturday I've got another matinee. 8 days and 9 shows left to go...

Gargle

Pleasance, originally uploaded by Dave Gorman.

I had a busy day yesterday. I did a short spot at Robin Ince's science show and guested on two chat shows before doing my own one man show in the evening.

Which probably explains why I've got a sore throat this morning. I normally start to suffer much earlier in a festival but this time I've been surprised by how well my voice had held out.

But once it strikes it's pretty hard to sort out. More a case of trying to stop it getting worse than actually making things better.

I might well have supped my last alcohol for the festival. Time for only healthy liquids to pass these lips. It's all about the show after all.

Honest. It is. No, really. All of it.

Pssst: got the extra show tomorrow (Saturday) at 2.30pm. (Tickets) Business as usual - 7.40pm every night - for the rest of the run from there.

EXTRA SHOW ADDED - SATURDAY 20th at 2.30pm

It's odd how things work out. We've added an extra show to the schedule and it's been made possible by an airport strike in Harare.

I'm having a bloomin' lovely time up in Edinburgh.

So far, every show has sold out. I hope that'll continue to be the case but I'm not counting any chickens - we're not there yet.

But... the shows are sold out between now and Saturday night... so we've decided to put on an extra show on Saturday afternoon. I'm hoping there are enough people up here who are only here for a week who will take the opportunity. We've certainly had to turn enough people away in the last few days to suggest that's the case.

I was asked about doing extra shows earlier in the run and I wasn't keen on the idea... not because I didn't want to do them but because I didn't want to put the show in another venue. Every venue is bursting at the seams with shows in Edinburgh. It took us 4 hours to get the tech set up right in the George Square Theatre - and then we have 20 minutes each night to get it all right after the show before me (the brilliantly camp Pink Noise by Fork) have taken their huge lights and projection etc down.

I was worried that if we took the show elsewhere - even if we had the performance slot available - we'd have insufficient time to get it technically right and we'd end up with a compromise. I'd hate to do that to the show just for the extra ticket sales.

But a slot has opened up in my regular venue. Zambezi Express - a Zimbabwean dance troupe - were meant to be on at 2.30 but unfortunately they've been trapped by an airport strike and so haven't been able to get out of Harare. So... we've been offered the slot on Saturday and it seems sensible to go for it. It's where the show belongs.

The official Edinburgh Fringe website seems to be having a few difficulties at the moment. But tickets for the extra show (and for the rest of the run for that matter) are available from the venue website: assemblyfestival.com

A Postcard From Scotland

I feel like I've been in Edinburgh for a month already and yet it feels like there's a whole month still to come...

That's not a grumble. Despite the weather I'm having a wonderful time. I'd forgotten how much I love this festival.

There are a number of other late-night cabaret shows that happen and I've never been a fan of performing at them. I think the audience always assumes that they're seeing a sample of your show - and as I can't really do a bit from my show at any of them I don't think it's a good idea to mislead people.

But there seem to be a whole load of shows out there this year where the point is to do something different... so I've been cheerfully throwing myself into the mix with those. They help to change up the days and don't leave the audience thinking they've seen what-you-do.

So I played in PokerMen (and, ahem, won) did an improvised set at Set List (great fun... and a really interesting challenge), improvised a song and told a story at The Horne Section (I can't quite believe I went for the song, myself), was a guest on The Richard Herring Edinburgh Fringe Podcast (he steers the chat brilliantly) and told a story of fond reminiscence about my High School maths teacher, Mr Morgan at Robin Ince's Carl Sagan is My God, Oh and Richard Feynman Too (a warm, friendly and accessible show about science... which is remarkable given that Robin is (insanely) doing 4 shows a day up here).

I don't think I'd be doing all these other things if I wasn't so relaxed with my own show. I expect the fact that Mrs Gorman has joined me up here for the last couple of days has helped too.

I'm lucky that I can spend time with her and see shows. I don't have to pound the street leafleting. The shows have been full so far. As I write, tonight and tomorrow are sold out. Fingers crossed for the rest.

Having a lovely time.

Edinburgh's an optimistic kind of city...