Here we see a pair of backstage selfies, taken by the Socks as the audience filed in for the first of our two Edinburgh Previews in Brighton this week. Following The Camden Head in London on Wednesday we now have three previews under our belts and, purely for future reference, here's a look at what we've done and what's working so far.
This time last year we'd been trying bits of Socks In Space ever since February, and had wound up trying lots of material which ultimately didn't make the show, whereas in 2012 we were at about the stage we're at today, having used Brighton as pretty well the first preview. I can confirm that this year's going better than the Boo Lingerie year, if only because my friends Stephen and Nick told me so. They reminded me, and I'd flushed from my memory, that the Boo Lingerie preview they saw wasn't very good. Well, this week's three shows were good, and bode well.
On Wednesday in Camden we gave them a 90 minute show, with 45 minutes devoted to as much new stuff as we had and 45 minutes of Socks In Space. So they got Scottish Independence Pros, Noah, Barman, UKIP Song, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey and random gags, and some improv which I'm hoping to see on video cos I can't remember any of it.
On Thursday and Friday I developed and recorded Eurovision song which Brighton heard on Saturday and Sunday. Parts of it are very good, half needs to change. Brighton's shows were only 60 mins long (in theory, they both overran between 5 and 10 mins) so they got approximately half an hour of Socks In Space at the end (only Sat got Fireball XL5, Countdown and Ding Dong, they also got Sweary Poppins only Sun got Green Screen and Star Wars). Luckily most of the Socks material still hadn't been written by this time last year, with Alien, Dr Who, Green Screen, Star Trek and most of the gags being a long way away then, so it was fresh to our Brighton returnees.
Saturday got Scot Indy Pro, Noah, Eurovision, Breaking Bad, UKIP Song and random gags; Sunday got Scot Indy Pro, Eurovision, Downton Abbey, a revival of Change The Key and random gags, and somehow, with adlibs with the audience that filled the 'new' half an hour.
So we know what's working, and we can see what's needed: the framing structure, the twist towards the end, something using the piano and a killer finale. We're getting there.
This blog has been for the benefit of the Socks, and their writer and performer who will look back on this in the future. Don't be surprised if it has made no sense whatsoever to you.
The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre are on tour... NOW!
May 23 - Keighley Exchange
May 31 - Aylesbury Limelight
June 6 - Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone
June 7 - Butlins, Bognor
June 11 - Camden Head, London
June 19 - Phoenix Arts, Bordon Hants
June 20 - Derby Assembly Rooms
June 21 - Halifax Square Chapel
June 22 - Derby (family show)
July 4 - Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham
July 9 - Bedford Fringe
July 11 - Beverley Puppet Festival
July 13 - Sheffield New Barrack Tavern 2pm
July 17 - Larmer Tree Festival, Wilts
July 18 - Leeds Carriageworks
July 19 - Cradley Heath Comedy Festival
July 22 - Comedy Den Cardiff
July 23 - Taurus Manchester
July 30 - Aug 25 Gilded Balloon, 10.30pm - Edinburgh Fringe 2014
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