EDINBURGH 2017: A Day At The Fringe- Chris Issacs

Edinburgh Festival Fringe performer Chris Issacs blogs for BWW to give us an insight into a typical day at the Fringe.

0600

Alarm goes off to wake up. Put alarm to sleep and doze for another fifteen to twenty two minutes.

0622

Pull myself out of bed. Lean down and attempt to touch my toes. Get just pass my knees. Call it a stretch. Shower.

0627

Open bedroom window and let in the cool fresh air to help wake me up.

0633

Close bedroom window - Australian temperament not use to this cool Scottish air.

0645

Get stuck into emails. Reply to the urgent ones, ignore the hard ones, scan the social medias and maybe if I'm feeling particularly devilish google search any reviews of the shows.

0700

FaceTime my partner back home. We're trying to have at least one conversation a day face to face. My cat doesn't recognise me and all my fears of travelling away from loved ones and them forgetting me hit me like a truck. Then I remember he's a cat and doesn't seem to recognise me when I'm home either so I calm down.

0800

Make some breakfast. Generally, two eggs on toast with avocado and hummus. I want to buy bacon, but I recently watched a movie called OKJA and... well yeah if you like bacon don't watch OKJA.

0900

Write. For every artist, there are three shows happening. The one on right now. The one you're working on next, and the one you're trying to get people to work on after that. This time in the morning for me is for the next ideas.

1100

Look through brochures and phone apps to see what shows might be a good idea today. Find ones I want to see. Check times. Notice clash with my show. Repeat until success. Book ahead.

1130

Pack for the day, this includes jumper, jacket, gloves, umbrella (even if it's sunny now... don't trust the skies), scarf, deodorant, book I'm reading. Try to carry as little as possible. Remember I might not be home until midnight.

1145

Walk through the meadows on my way to the venues, generally starting near George Square. Stop a while and look at the trees. Remember trees don't care if you get a good review or not.

1200

Start seeing shows.

1300

Help one of the company's (The Last Great Hunt) shows (THE GREAT RIDOLPHI) get into venue and go have lunch at Hulu around the corner from Cowgate.

1400

Linger around venue. Read book. Talk to people flyering. Maybe duck in on a show if I'm so inclined.

1500

Start warm up for the show

1545

Cross over and bump show into venue.

1600

Perform show (FAG/STAG). After performance remember very little of what happened. Say chookas to the next gang.

1720

Head out of venue and go see things. Try and look for quality writing and bold ideas. Hopefully see something great. Tell all my friends about it when I see them.

1900

Look for some dinner. Hang around the Underbelly George Square gardens and ponder the night's adventures. It might be another show, it might be a walk around the city, it might be to sit and chat and be merry, or could simply be to head home, get some rest and do it all again tomorrow.

1100

Think about going to bed.

0100

Go to bed.

FAG/STAG

Presented by Underbelly and The Last Great Hunt

Underbelly Cowgate (Belly Button), 66 Cowgate, Edinburgh, EH1 1JX

Thursday 3rd - Sunday 27th August 2017 (not 14th), 16:00

Photo credit: Cameron Etchells