The Socks have been doing the Leicester Comedy Festival for longer than they've been doing Edinburgh. They first appeared there, I think, in 2006 at The Looking Glass, in a show put together by Alan (Seaman, of whom more later). Since then, every Edinburgh show has had its first Preview in Leicester in February, and we've put a show on, even when we've not done Edinburgh.
With the exception of 2021, we've played every single year since. We usually do two nights, sometimes three. This year was a three-show year.
And one of the biggest challenges come in October or November, when I have to decide what the show's going to be called. Sometimes I think I'm going to go with one idea - like the year when the show was listed as Pop, and the other year which was Art, two ideas I still want to do - and I go with something else. (I think Art turned out to be Roll Up, and Pop was 2020's show, which never ended up happening, eventually morphing into Eurovision).
This was one of those years when, like many other shows in the Leicester Comedy Festival programme, I went with "The New Show" (a lot of shows plump for "Work In Progress"). And that was the plan, four months ago. By this month, though, I'd already decided I wasn't doing Edinburgh this year, and I'd done no writing on any new Socks material at all. So whatever Leicester was getting, it wouldn't be new.
I decided, with a week to go, and no chance to change any listings, that I was going to do Eurovision on the Friday, then my two favourite shows Shakespeare, on Saturday, and Superheroes, on Sunday.
Turns out I needn't have worried. Friday night's Eurovision, which had the largest advance sales (around 30) went well, though there were a few technical problems cos John's (Morris, the show runner) train was late and we had to rush to get things set up.
Saturday's Shakespeare was even better. Starting with quieter advance sales, we ended up with as many or more in the crowd. And they laughed even more. We overran by 10 minutes. Shakespeare is a really good show, and I don't think it's dated. Yet.
Sunday's Superheroes had the lowest advance sales, standing at only 14 before the show (though I'm told that was twice as many as the other shows in the venue, smug smug). Then we start, and it's sounding like a full house out there. I think we ended up with our biggest audience yet, and another fab reception. Overran by another 10 minutes, which is always a good sign, cos that's caused by laughter and audience interaction.
In the audience for Superheroes were Alan and Sonia, who I've not seen for years and who I met up with at lunchtime. Ironically it's the first Leicester for years that Heather hasn't come to, so she missed out on the meeting. Hopefully they'll come to Chepstow soon, an open invitation is theirs.
Another novelty about this three day Leicester weekend is that it comes in the middle of my Dry February. I'm not drinking until, at least, March 10th when I have my next blood test for my high cholesterol. So no going out to see shows and drinking at the bar, not that I was that bothered, and no going back to the hotel room and drinking on my own, which frankly would have been my ritual. This time I proved I'm capable of drinking cups of tea and watching Netflix after a show, like I assume most people do all of the time.
So, in conclusion, Leicester proves once again to be a brilliant festival to put on a show at. Hopefully next year I'll reward it with a properly new show. Maybe I'll think of the title by October, wouldn't that be perfect?
Scottish Falsetto Socks tour dates
1 Mar Glasgow
3 Mar Eastgate Peebles
15 Mar Aberystwyth Arts
31 Mar New Continental, Preston
1 April Ropewalk Barton
7 April - Rondo Bath
14 April - Chorley New Theatre
26 April - Harlequin Redhill
5 May - Cornerstone Oxon
11, 12 May - Old Joint Stock, Birmingham
My books and where to find them:
Prince Of Denmark Street - Amazon - Etsy
Midsummer Nights Dream Team - Amazon - Etsy
Doctor Who Colouring - Amazon - Lulu - Etsy
Punk Colouring - Amazon - Lulu - Etsy
70s Pop Star Colouring - Amazon - Lulu - Etsy
60s Pop Star Colouring - Amazon - Lulu - Etsy
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