EDINBURGH 2013: View From The Cast
The typical day at the Fringe starts far earlier than you would like, mainly due to the fact that the night before ended far later and far more gin soaked than you had planned. We roll out of bed, being lucky enough to have our own which is a fringe miracle, and the flyering strategy is sleepily discussed once again. (Typically, Nick would rather stick up posters and Alice needs bribing with coffee to wear her baby blue Happy Never After t-shirt.)
After a stint on the Royal Mile, where we have the daily discussion of whether singing, dancing or puppetry would draw in the crowds even though none of the above appear in the show, we head on down to the Pleasance Courtyard to try and round up our last few audience members of the day. If they have already started drinking, they are our first targets!
Our show is at 12:40 which means that we are the first show in the space, no rapid stressful get-in for us. We stroll in, set up our big green sofa and many props before trying to make the glorious venue technicians laugh with our very amateur renditions of songs from the musical 'Cats'. If anyone is looking to invest in a brand-new, stripped-back version with only two performers of questionable singing and dancing ability, then please do get in touch.
At the Fringe, it is a real possibility that the cast could outnumber the audience (thank the theatrical gods that Happy Never After is a two-hander!), but once the house lights go down we need to forget about how many people are watching, and luckily for us we are getting in decent crowds every day.
Time to get on with the bit that we are supposed to be good at - the acting! The show flashes by and soon we are basking in the rapturous applause and quickly, oh so quickly stashing away props and clearing up tea bags. (Come see the show, you'll understand what we mean.) The cast of the next show are ready, set in hand, to fill the space as soon as we have cleared it, so it's out of costume and time to be a punter for the afternoon.
The day fills up shows, food and booze, and of course a bit more flyering! The late-night comedy shows and 'performers' bars' draw us back in, before we wend our way our home to prepare to do it all over again. When in doubt, we just remember...Jellicles can and Jellicles do.
Happy Never After runs at the Pleasance Courtyard Below at 12:40 until Monday 26 August. You can follow us on Twitter!
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