Life since the first two shows

Friends and festival goers/ potential festival-want-to-go-but-can't-er's,
I am going to tell you about how life in Edinburgh has been since the first two shows.

So, the first show went as well as could be expected- the audience was very kind, which made life easier my end. And I have to say, that with regard to looking at the positive side of things... yes, the audience may have been small, but at least we had some bottoms on some chairs. Apparently, the opening average is just 6 people. Suffice to say, we exceeded the average... by one person. That- I am told, is a good start.

After the first show, we went to celebrate and I sampled a rather aptly named cocktail- The End of The World, which is apt because my show is called Mildred McManus for World Minister. It was a pleasant drink, but it wasn't as good as the strawberry-a-colada that I had the other night. (If you're unsure, a strawberry-a-colada is basically a pina-colada, without the pina. Instead of pineapple, it's got strawberries. So really, it was just a strawberry milkshake... with a kick (courtesy of the rum). I think, it takes an acquired taste though.

Anyway, enough about all that! After the show, we went to see another show called The Thai Lady Boys of Bangkok. To say the least, it was interesting- and very, very insightful! To my surprise, I actually enjoyed this peculiar sort of cabaret show. (It's not normally something I'd have gone to, but I... well... I suppose I'm broadening my horizons).

The Lady Boys show consisted of dancing and singing and beautiful fella's donning super spangly gowns. Although, the chap playing Marilyn Monroe looked slightly more like Marlon Monroe as he had rather long brown sideburns flanking his ears. But, he was funny enough though.

What else to say?

Well, it was actually really good fun- most of it. The part that was not so fun was when this great big hulking house of a man (who was sat to my left on a small chair) proceeded to sit on me. The worst part was, he didn't even realise that he was half on my lap and half on his chair. So Dave had to take invasive action and pull my chair back, with me glued to it. Despite moving a good half a foot or so, the house didn't even notice. In fact, in the course of the rest of the evening, he then went on to stand on my foot and then virtually blind me with an errant hand that was flying frequently through the air and dangerously close to my nasal region.

Aside from this space invader, the rest of the evening progressed nicely. I even had my first real live YMCA experience! But if truth be told, I did leave the show with my mind pondering the ever elusive question: which toilet does a lady boy use? The ladies or the gents? I do not know.

*

The next day we had our second show. Again, it went okay. It was just a shame that there weren't more people there to enjoy the experience of sharing in the life of Mildred. However, my disappointment wasn't to last too long, because later that evening I did the most perfect piece of parallel parking I have ever done in my life. (And when I say perfect- it was textbook). That- friends, made my evening because my parallel parking ability (by my own admissions), is somewhat hit and miss.

So, riding high on my parallel parking high, we went to see a fabulous show called Fabulous Divas of Hollywood starring Alan Palmer. It was very clever and very funny and I would like to wish him lots of success with his brilliant show.

Anyway, I am going to end this blog with a concise list of all that I have learnt in the past few days:

• It rains in Scotland. A lot.
• My raincoat is NOT waterproof.
• My shoes are NOT waterproof.
• My mascara IS waterproof (always good).
• Dave and I are rubbish at flyering.
• The show must always go on- to quote Freddie and the gang, regardless of the size of the audience.
• Talking IS good. (Must make a note to remind Mum of this fact every time she suggests otherwise).
• Scotland is green because of the weather.
• I am happiest when I am on the stage, making people around me happy. Long may it last.

Until the next blog, I bid you farewell. Bye!