Post by flum on Aug 24, 2004 17:12:16 GMT
I didn't plan on staying for the whole thing. I planned on going home at 3 or 4 AM, getting some sleep, possibly returning in the afternoon before getting food then arriving in time for the finale. Something like that anyway. I definitely did not plan on being in a comedy show for 24 hours, which was why it ended up being something of a surprise to find myself on-stage for the final hour, recieving applause that mixed respect with pity, for being one of the ten 'lifers' who had managed to stick it out for the whole thing.
It wasn't technically true either, I'd left twice to see two other shows, but I still did 20 and a half hours, but this is still quite impressive, and foolhardy, in anyone's book.
Anyway, it was, as the title suggests, a 24 hour long show, with Mark keeping us all entertained from Midnight on Sunday/Monday through to the next day (actually 20 past midnight due to some administrative cock-ups and the thing being a hell of a lot more popular than was perhaps expected). While it was ostensiably a comedy show, and laughter was a constant, it wasn't a joke fest, which is hardly surprising as that would probably get very grating after a few hours. Instead it was a night, day and night again of bonhomie, friendship, unexpected guest appearences, chat and endurance. Oh, and cheering an alarm clock. A lot of cheering an alarm clock.
While there was an itinerary of sorts, it was never really used, the much vaunted Literary Fun hour, for example, was originally scheduled for 2 to 3AM and eventually surfaced at 1PM. Unfortunately the expectation that had built up for it by then could never be satisfied and it wasn't really one of the highlights. Similarly Shakespeare for breakfast eventually surfaced at lunchtime, and so on.
While the event was shambolic - they forgot to organise doorstaff so audience members like myself volunteered to do an hour or so - this was part of it's charm and the general vibe was always supportive. Stuff that did happen included Grudges Hour, mainly about the BBC, Blind Date, a tiff with Dara O'Briain, a review of the newspapers which turned into a debate on education and also a look at why Kate Copstick is rubbish. A lot of the show ended up being talking about the show itself and, by the end of the night, was essentially a mass of injokes and knowing references which only those of us foolish enough to do the massive stints entirely enjoyed. A number of comedians turned up to share in the experience, and to give Mark support, so we also got to enjoy Adam Hills, Stewart Lee (who on his second visit brought us sweets, hooray!), Dara - who was a bit arsey about it but, at the very end of the show, turned up to apologise, thus giving the event some sort of conclusion, if an unexpected one - Adam Bloom and Milton Jones, plus various lesser known comedians all put in a stint.
The event was easily one of the best things I've ever experienced and been a part of at the Fringe. There was a lot of love in the room, especially at the end when Mark proposed to his girlfriend (she said yes). Mark deserves all the plaudits he'll get from doing this, even if I still have absolutely no idea whether he's any good as a stand-up comic.
It wasn't technically true either, I'd left twice to see two other shows, but I still did 20 and a half hours, but this is still quite impressive, and foolhardy, in anyone's book.
Anyway, it was, as the title suggests, a 24 hour long show, with Mark keeping us all entertained from Midnight on Sunday/Monday through to the next day (actually 20 past midnight due to some administrative cock-ups and the thing being a hell of a lot more popular than was perhaps expected). While it was ostensiably a comedy show, and laughter was a constant, it wasn't a joke fest, which is hardly surprising as that would probably get very grating after a few hours. Instead it was a night, day and night again of bonhomie, friendship, unexpected guest appearences, chat and endurance. Oh, and cheering an alarm clock. A lot of cheering an alarm clock.
While there was an itinerary of sorts, it was never really used, the much vaunted Literary Fun hour, for example, was originally scheduled for 2 to 3AM and eventually surfaced at 1PM. Unfortunately the expectation that had built up for it by then could never be satisfied and it wasn't really one of the highlights. Similarly Shakespeare for breakfast eventually surfaced at lunchtime, and so on.
While the event was shambolic - they forgot to organise doorstaff so audience members like myself volunteered to do an hour or so - this was part of it's charm and the general vibe was always supportive. Stuff that did happen included Grudges Hour, mainly about the BBC, Blind Date, a tiff with Dara O'Briain, a review of the newspapers which turned into a debate on education and also a look at why Kate Copstick is rubbish. A lot of the show ended up being talking about the show itself and, by the end of the night, was essentially a mass of injokes and knowing references which only those of us foolish enough to do the massive stints entirely enjoyed. A number of comedians turned up to share in the experience, and to give Mark support, so we also got to enjoy Adam Hills, Stewart Lee (who on his second visit brought us sweets, hooray!), Dara - who was a bit arsey about it but, at the very end of the show, turned up to apologise, thus giving the event some sort of conclusion, if an unexpected one - Adam Bloom and Milton Jones, plus various lesser known comedians all put in a stint.
The event was easily one of the best things I've ever experienced and been a part of at the Fringe. There was a lot of love in the room, especially at the end when Mark proposed to his girlfriend (she said yes). Mark deserves all the plaudits he'll get from doing this, even if I still have absolutely no idea whether he's any good as a stand-up comic.
