You may or many not know I blogged on the road last September as Danny Pensive, supporting 'One Man Lord Of The Rings', a chap called Charlie, on his UK autumn tour. Well he's asked me back to do his spring tour other show which is now in it's ninth year 'One Man Star Wars'. This is my blog of the tour.
Day 1 - Gravesend
I have an Asda carrier bag containing some mug-shot pasta snacks, cider, chicken pieces and disposable tissue hankies. London eases me nicely into the monotony of the road. An hour to cross London? Healthrow to Gravesend? I think not. More like two. Joining us on the road is our stage manager from New Zealand, she used to work for WETA workshop (them people who made the models for the Lord of the Rings movies) so is automatically cool geek and also Richard. Richard is a super effiecient Stormtrooper wrangler from Birmingham. The first night is a good 'break-in' for all of us at the Woodville Halls venue. Richard mates turn up and they disappear, then reappear looking effing cool. One of them is a biker scout. I have Danny Pensive's coat on and in their presense look like a jawa.
Day 2 - Bury St Edmunds
The Royal theatre has an 'Ian McKellan' dressing room. Charlie is already in it. Richard has taken the 'Dame Judi Dench' room, and I'm down stairs in dressing room number six that I've called the 'Patrick MgGoohan' Room. Meeting my mate Matt in a bit, he lives outside Bury St Ed's and for a living handles heavy artillary, so he likes his star wars. It's a full house tonight, despite, the bank holiday and the Royal Wedding, of which I've heard and seen nothing. Nevermind.
My ego has been well and truly fluffed. I've just been into the Manchester Comedy Store to see my portrait on the wall as part of their new ongoing exhibition. It's a mix of old and new acts they've included for their 1st 'rotation'and I'm sitting next to Toby Hadoke.
Blimey! Literally as I'm writing this I'm sitting next to two women in the snug of the Lass to write, they started talking about the new stuff night at the Store and how it's a good place to go to find out what makes people laugh. Well I suppose they have a point.
I've not blogged for my own site in ages, as most of my outpourings gets pushed down the SFX website shaped pipe, which I dont mind at all as is a lot of fun to do and has infinitely more hits than my own site. They've just had a re-jig with their bloggers, bringing in osme new blood in prep for the new design re-launch in April.
Last fortnight my Edinburgh venue got confirmed which is 5.20pm at the Just the Tonic caves for "Danny Pensive's Map of Britain", stick that in your diaries if you're up in Edinburgh during August. I've even sent a letter to Gloverall, the people who make rather posh duffle coats to see if they'd be interested in sponsoring the show, not heard anything back yet.
This year will be my fourth Edinburgh, and second solo show after 2008's "30 year itch" and this time I'm pushing the financial boat out doing a proper ticketed show, so hopefully the last few years of generating a following for Danny Pensive will pay off.
From experience, the best way to put a show together for Edinburgh and get those all important bums on seats is to find a theme the folk can easily relate to, but don't straitjacket yourself with somthing that ties all the show into one subject, and always do somthing different at the 40 min mark, adivce from Jas Cook. "Danny Pensive's Map of Britain" is aiming to be that thing. There's a map in it, so at least it's factually correct.