Surreal times

That was a weird evening, after a fairly bland day at work. Rehearsals for the Brighton show (Cat Food), which opens in Cambridge tomorrow night, were slightly edgy - like suddenly, it's not so fun if you don't know your lines, because the show is tomorrow, and it's not so fun when there's mistakes, because the show is tomorrow. I might add, I've nearly nailed the lines, like the schoolboy swat I am (largely thanks to workmates Audrey, Bryan, Sarah and Matt, who have been helping me at lunch every day for the last week, but now probably won't pay to see the show as they know what happens). That doesn't mean I can actually act though, in my two characters I'm a) myself (which somebody pointed out this evening, a bit sarcastic/rude as well to be honest, thanks), or b) shouty man, which even makes me cringe - although Alan our soundman pointed out that my pacing around reminds him of Leonard Rossiter, which is surely the biggest compliment you can ever pay anybody because he was like, the greatest comedy actor ever? I'm nothing like Leonard Rossiter, but I appreciate Alan's kind words. I feel well supported by most of the people involved with the show, I ain't no actor, but I've done enough work to make sure the show is still a show, which it wasn't about 2 weeks ago. The first performance is tomorrow, I'm trying not to think about it.
After the rehearsal I popped over to the Haymakers in Cambridge where my friend Andy puts on a regular comedy night called Lol-a-thon. It's always a treat - because it's very cheap and you have no idea what to expect - he puts on a lot of acts for three quid, all of whom are generally trying to impress you. Tonight, there was 7 of us in the audience, with nearly as many acts. Alongside the usual stand-up affair though there was something rather incredible - and I'm gutted that I can't remember the name of the duo, but I'll ask Andy (a very good comedian in his own right) what the name of the act was and post a YouTube clip or something in morning - it was genuinely the greatest thing I've ever seen on a stage - 2 men, one with a fake beard, a wig and a moustache made out of gaffer tape who claims to be Matthew Kelly and keeps showing the audience his wonderfully surreal (yet equally simple) paintings, whilst the other chap is a synthesiser playing (although he'd forgotten his batteries) man in a mask who calls himself Nicholas Lyndhurst, or as Matthew Kelly introduces him as, "Rodney from Only Fools and Horses, who you'll also know as Rodney from Goodnight Sweetheart and...Rodney from Parkinson, because he was on that once". My explanations aren't doing it justice, it was the best thing I've ever seen - I was choking with laughter. After that the ever brilliant David Trent followed trying out new material, although heckling from an old Irish man at the back of the pub was a distraction - but one he handled with brilliance, and then - after David's set had finished, they seemed to have an altercation off stage, which we could all hear, and then the final act was a 'comedy' poet who was drunk, accidentally came across as a racist although he clearly wasn't (just as a black man happened to be walking past, just as he was saying how he 'doesn't hate black people' which made everybody feel a bit awkward to say the least) his act died and I went home thinking 'Lol-a-thon' is the best thing to ever happen to Cambridge, and felt privileged to be one of the 7 people who saw all that. Andy is apparently going to rename it 'Cambridge Comedy Hell', whatever it is, it's the best £3 I'll ever spend. Anyway, must sleep, show tomorrow and I look a mess.