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Sunday 4 August 2013

Have you seen The God Particle?


So… Edinburgh.  If you know me in real life you’ll have heard me mention it in every conversation we’ve had at any point in the last 6 months. I’ve taken a whole month (a month!!) off work and I’m finally up here, working on two shows at the Fringe Festival. 

The combination of stress and comedy is tailor-made to ensure I’m having the absolute best time. As my friend Naomi says ‘It’s your happy place’.

I love the little flat I’m staying in. I love my morning walk through the Meadows. I love seeing comedians every time I grab a coffee or cross the road. I love the buzz… but most of all I love that I have not one but TWO venue passes, and a lanyard. (I love a lanyard, it tells people I’m more important than them). 

In the interests of fairness I must point out that I don’t love everything. Weekends at the festival see slow-walking increasing by up to 60%. Please, parents, there's no need to walk along in a row with your children spanning the pavement like you're the Von Trapps doing their final number before the Nazis come. Street theatre can do one as well - no I don’t want to see your percussion interpretations of the Watergate scandal so please stop tap-dancing at me I’m on my way to the Edinburgh fudge kitchen. 

Anyway, when I'm not being angered to the brink of murder by slow-walkers and stoppers (they are the worst, honestly I'm moving on in a bit I promise but they are the worst - you're not allowed to just STOP!) I am having a TOTALLY BRILLIANT TIME. I really am. I am working on two excellent shows which I'm proud to be a part of, with lovely people to spend time with, my cousin (who I rarely see) is also working here and is just 5 minutes away, AND I can get a crepe from a van and legitimately call that 'dinner' - because I am on holiday (ish). 

These lovely people! 

One of the shows I’ve been working on is called The God Particle , which is a ‘brand new romantic comedy sci-fi from the award-winning co-writer of Miranda, Bluestone 42 and Another Case of Milton Jones’ - James Cary (who blogs here).

It’s a rom-com about a scientist and a vicar, with a bit of particle physics thrown in, and it’s very funny. It's a bit 'Rev' meets 'Doctor Who', and we're so pleased with how it’s going – yesterday we sold out and had to turn away about 20 people on the door. 



I've been trying to exit flyer shows with similar themes, and as we noticed that a show called ‘Higgs’ was on at the Summerhall Theatre we thought it would be a good idea to go along and tell people about it as they left. 

Professor Higgs has a couple of name-checks in our show and we thought people would be interested. We’d actually talked about inviting him to see the show a while back, but had problems getting in touch with him.

Anyway, along I went, in my branded t-shirt, and waited in the foyer to hand out flyers. People seemed really interested, reactions ranging from 'I saw this yesterday, I really enjoyed it!' to 'Oh did Richard Hurst write this?!' (Hard luck James, sorry).

Then I handed a flyer to one elderly gentleman who read the title, looked shocked but not a little amused, and then put it in the bag he was holding and walked off. I thought that was a bit of an odd reaction. 

The man he had been speaking to said: ‘You do know who that is, yes?’

‘No’

‘That man IS the Higgs-Boson’

Penny slowly dropping now… ‘You mean…’

‘Yes, that was Professor Higgs’.

So there we go. The girl in the bright yellow t-shirt who accidentally gave Professor Peter Higgs a flyer for a show called ‘The God Particle’. 

As I said, I’m having the best time.

Obliged now to remind you that The God Particle is on at Just the Tonic, Bristo Square at 12noon until the 25th August (not 13th) It’s wonderfully acted and very funny and I’m not in it. What more do you want? 




1 comment:

  1. Higgs was at his own show? Hopefully he shows up and enjoys TGP too. Can James write in a cameo?

    We saw it in London and found it a good stab at addressing faith vs science in a limited timeframe without compromising on story/laughs. Hopefully the sequel is pretty much Back to the Future 2. I would pay to watch a stage version of that.

    Also pls eat a pizza crunch and a deep fried Mars bar while you're up there. For breakfast, if possible.

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