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 Tim
has just completed THE SINGING PLAYWRIGHTS show with Willy
Russell and a full band, to wonderful reviews, at this years
Edinburgh Festival. We ahve added some images form Edinburgh
and reproduced a diary Tim wrote for the Sunday Herald.
SUNDAY HERALD DIARY
- 7 days in the life of …
- Tim Firth, scriptwriter
and one half of The Singing Playwrights
Monday
Desperately need meeting with Willy Russell to cut our show down
to 90 minutes. My daughter slips on a three-inch high water slide
at the swimming baths and we spend eight hours in casualty instead.
Willy organises set on his own.
Packing for Edinburgh at three in the morning I am reminded of
the last time I went to Edinburgh 17 years ago. I was performing
as part of the Cambridge Footlights, two words which were the
festival equivalent of the words "kick" and "me".
After a dismal three weeks of performing at midnight, I was so
desperate to leave that I managed to find a train departing at
3am, reluctant even to leave it until the following morning.
Willy's recent experiences have been much better. I am hoping
this visit will lay some ghosts to rest.
Tuesday
Today I travel up to Edinburgh. I get on one of the new Richard
Branson Virgin cross country trains at Warrington. This turns
out to be 15ft long and contains 4000 passengers and an electronic
toilet. The toilet is run by a series of computers that alert
an office somewhere in Karachi every time it gets full. Due to
a computer error our toilet is convinced it is full by Wigan
when I know for a fact it only contains four jimmy riddles and
a possible number two. Worse, the corridors are so crammed no-one
can get to the buffet. When we finally arrive in Edinburgh, the
house I am staying in is wonderful so I fall asleep and forget
my death-threat letter to Branson.
Wednesday
Our first day as a company in Edinburgh. Things are going great
until 06.49 when our sound engineer phones from Liverpool to
say he unfortunately can't do the show. Actually he texts us.
Our tour manager forces us to realise that things could be worse.
Keep our chins up. Then our tour manager has a suspected heart
attack and is whisked off to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Everything's
going fine.
Thursday
This morning the replacement sound engineer arrives. He's great,
young, chirpy, ready for anything except the sudden collapse
he is about to have due to his kidney stones. He is whisked off
to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where he meets our tour manager.
Willy and I are starting to consider doing the show in A&E.
Friday
After various health scares we finally get a full day of rehearsal.
This is in the Commonwealth Swimming Pool, the only place left
in Edinburgh that hasn't already got a show in it. We rehearse
to the background noise of an aqua-aerobics class doing exercises
to the tune of Copacabana. We finish in time for me to race to
the Book Festival to hear David Baddiel reading excerpts from
his new novel. Afterwards we have a drink in the "author's
yurt". This is the first time I have been in a yurt, and
may also be the last. It seems to be living proof that ancient
civilisations read The Guardian.
Saturday
Final sound check day. In middle of mayhem get a call from an
old mate who is coming to see the first show - which is great
- except he's en route to his surfing holiday on the Isle of
Arran and doesn't want to leave his surfboard on top of the car.
Have to arrange with The Pleasance for two surfboards to come
into the dressing room which I do trying to pass them off as
props for the show. We are fortunately not going to be sharing
a dressing room with XXX, the live porn show from Spain, who
have left. We had to share with them during the press preview
for the Festival last month and the things they had lying around
are beyond description but haunt my dreams.
Sunday
One show done, 11 to go. Must see someone else's show now. The
last show we tried to see was a school version of Blood Brothers
which was sold out when we turned up and Willy had to pull rank
and blag his way in as the author .
Next week the family come up and I will spend five days going
to see children's shows so going to try to see a late night thing
by one of Willy's mates called Tim Fountain - Sex Addict. It's
a slide show featuring about 400 penises. Hope I don't have bad
dreams afterwards.
TIM FIRTH -
SUNDAY HERALD - 22 August 2004
IMAGES of EDINBURGH
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