Edinblog: Last Week of The Fringe

The second Gargle recording was a chaotic delight. I love how visual the jokes get at a podcast recording but yet somehow it still works if you weren’t there. Well, I say somehow. It’s the magic of Chris Skinner and Ped Hunter.

The 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe is heading towards the end of its run and there’s the usual feeling where the 3,000+ shows that didn’t “win the fringe” feel a bit deflated. I’ve had a lovely time, but I came in determined to do that, and it turns out that if you work hard on not letting yourself get beaten down by the solipsism of solo show life (and also people buy lots of tickets to your shows and mostly laugh), you can keep a high heart for an intense month.

As I’ve said before; when your business and the product you’re selling is a version of yourself, the distinction between being a workaholic and a narcissist can blur pretty hard.

I’m balancing the show, the book, the family, seeing friends, seeing shows and only doing the spots that are worth it. I’m doing the final Monday which some people don’t do but I love the vibe of bringing the plane down softly to a nice quiet crowd and the people that come that day are a special and wonderful bunch.

Also it’s good to wean off performer adrenaline. I’m pretty ruthless about formally planning activities of gradually decreasing intensity at show time for about a week and a bit after the fringe, so I don’t get a weird sick energy surge and dizzy comedown at 8.15 when I’m not getting onto the stage.

Final week:

Twist – 2–28 August @ 20:30

Underbelly, Bristo Square (Jersey)

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/alice-fraser-twist

As always, am offering 2 for 1s for Patrons on any night I’m not sold out. Please email or message me with proof of purchase of your ticket THE DAY BEFORE you are due to come, and include your most ideal email so I can send you the complimentary ticket. Also hardship/artist tickets are available if you are strapped for cash or an artist who wants to come but would otherwise not be able to afford it. Email or message again the day before and if it’s not sold out, I’ll put you on the door.

A huge thank you goes to Max Hoppe who very kindly donated several tickets to the show which makes it easier to be able to offer these hardship/artist tickets. Thankyou also to the people who have been putting up their hands for these tickets; it can be hard to ask for help, but I really love being able to do it, and I love having friendly faces in the audience.

Breaking News – Tickets on Sale!

On 3 September, the very last performance of Twist will be filmed at The Bill Murray Comedy Club (39 Queen’s Head Street in Islington, London).

Tickets are now on sale (https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/event-detail/alice-fraser-twist-3rd-sep-the-bill-murray-london-tickets-202309031600/) and I’d love to have as many of you clever and kind folks there to help make this the best it can be.

Why does it have to be the last performance of this show? I tell you in the show, so I don’t want to spoil it if you’re yet to see it. But there’s a ticking clock on the final twist, and it’s basically the first week of September. If the lovely folk at Go Faster Stripe had offered a filming date at the end of Sept, I’d have probably had to say no.

D’Ancey LaGuarde

After D’Ancey’s appearance at the Gargle, I’m not sure if there’s more or less mysteriousness now, but the writing is still fun and making me laugh, which is my favourite thing about having discovered this weird vein of comedy in my own head. Most of my comedy writing is more or less an intellectual exercise. This is something folded up at the gut level that I get to tap into and delight in.

I’m hoping to recruit romance readers and genre nerds as well as podcast listeners and supportive Patreon types. So if you know anyone who runs a romance writers or readers convention or podcast, do let me know. My manuscript needs to be in the hands of Unbound by the end of September and though I don’t control it from there, am pushing Chris to push the Unbound people to get it in ye pre-orderly hands by Christmas ‘23. I feel squirrely about people waiting more than a couple of months to get a thing they’ve paid for.

Once I have a fixed release date, will let you know about any launch event type things online or non-line.

https://unbound.com/books/the-dancey-laguarde-reader/

The Bugle: Live

Once we’ve all had a moment to process the creative chaos of Edinburgh and eat a meal at a normal human time, I’ll be joining Andy Zaltzman to do a Live Bugle on the 16 September @ Leicester Square Theatre.

In Andy Proving he’s the most Lapsed Jew Ever, this date means the Bugle will be on Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), which is entertaining to me.

Tickets: https://www.leicestersquaretheatre.com/the-bugle-live/

Share and plug things you like

If you go to the about page, you will have access to all my podcasts and specials. Apparently that doesn’t show up well for people when they go to my Patreon landing page, and I’ve been trotting along assuming it was the Patreon landing page.

Patreonite Events

The Google calendar is a thing you can integrate into your calendar andprovides the best way to stay up to the minute on events (https://linktr.ee/alicefraser) but for those not connected here are the next few events.

In-Person Salon

Thursday, 24 August⋅12:00 – 1:00pm

Meet at Maycheelin fresh fruit and classic bubble tea 美麒麟茶记

https://maps.app.goo.gl/vEAFrTcdxbTJzKws9?g_st=ic

Book Club (with Special Guest!)

Friday, 25 August⋅4:30 – 5:30pm (UTC +1)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88314524198?pwd=Q00xeWVoYWh1dHg2TVVtZEtnenBndz09

Writers Meeting and Workshop

Sunday, 27 August⋅2:30 – 4:30pm (UTC +1)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86840273690?pwd=SVNVMUhMektPckN4QVNkeWt4MkwxQT09