Will Class get in to the Fringe?

17 February 2007 by Kirsty.

1st Jan

Spent Christmas reading through all the Ed Fringe stuff now I’ve subscribed to the performer’s website. Really helpful, very exciting and extremely daunting. But I’m going to do it. It’s my New Year’s resolution.

10th Jan

Tried to cut down script but its impossible to edit until I know the running time and whether or not I need to remove characters. Have just tidied up the script based on feedback from last time round.

11th Jan

Have to get Labia Menorca and Majorca in to the script.

12th Jan

Don’t understand half of the lingo. Stage configurations are all so different – thrust stage end on, black box raised with raked seating etc. Hundreds of areas from churches to swimming pools, which host shows. Am focussing search on venues, which seat 50 – 150 people, have a preferably raised stage and is in EH1. Have only ever been to Edinburgh twice. Once on my sister’s hen do, where a well endowed stripper called Capri asked us to act “real dirty” as part of an afternoon pole dancing session and the other on a day trip from my friend’s cul-de-sac up the motorway.

15th Jan

Got refused a unpaid leave from work. My boss likened it to him asking to go skiing for a month. Burnt with infuriation. Putting on a show at Edinburgh is one of the biggest projects you can undertake in terms of managing budget, people, logistics, suppliers, vendors, negotiation, coordination, planning, time, interdependencies, especially on the back of writing, directing and producing a London show just to kick it off. Does that sound like going skiing? Ho hum, I’m still going to enter.

22nd Jan

Met with Nigel and David at the committee meeting and short-listed 10 venues.

3rd Feb

Worked all Friday night and Saturday morning on pack for Ed venue applications. Met Nina for bit of Mr Bombastic and showed her what I was putting together. Thankfully the photos from last year are great and the girls look fabulous.

4th Feb

Late. Finally got the pack together: looking Classy! Isn’t it funny how the word Classy is tacky? Says it all really… The pack includes reviews, crew biogs, cast biogs, photos, flyers, synopsis and the script itself. Just need to get it printed out at work and posted now.

5th Feb

Loitered at the colour printer at work for a good hour. Could be seen scurrying down corridors with bulging envelopes of Class literature. Sor’ed.

6th Feb

Sent the packs off recorded delivery to top 6 venues. Glad that’s done. I can go snowboarding now.

12th Feb

Got replies to my Edinburgh applications from various venues. All very similar, saying that they’re programming at the moment and I shouldn’t expect to hear anything back until mid March time. Snowboarding was a write off BTW. Complete white out and lost Dan up the mountain!

13th Feb

Had telecom with Nigel and David about securing some budget from Network theatre to subsidise budget. Agreed to pitch box office split at Thursday’s committee meeting. Decided between us that it’s worth setting up a limited company to limit liability in case we get ourselves in to debt. Sure Ed Fringe must cover themselves against limited companies as most shows lose money but haven’t fathomed out that bit yet so am going to look in to it. David pointed out that unless I’m paid for the Class license my script will be available to the public domain and nobody in the future will have to pay to perform it. So I need to bill Network even if it’s minimal.

14th Feb

Spoke to the HaagenVater who’s kindly agreed to register Class Stage Productions as a company with me as the director and Mum as the secretary. Thanks HaagenVater J

15th Feb

Witnessed two Polish guys shoplift a roast chicken from Iceland in to a battered sports bag. They saw that I’d seen and promptly legged it. Wondered if I should report it but thought of my Marek and Tomasz and thought better of it. You’ve got to be hungry and broke to steal dinner.Presented my Edinburgh budget to the committee and put forward case for a box office split on any profit from the London show to subsidise Edinburgh. I was angling for a 50/50 split. They’re giving me a third of box office and bar takings. Am chuffed. Our temporary bus stop is still stashed at the theatre so thank the Lord I don’t have to do a repeat performance of last year: driving around every South East London bus depot I can think of and beg for a bus stop. And thankfully Leroy from the Peckham branch hasn’t demanded this bruised and battered one back. Also agreed that I’ll draw up a license for Class and charge Network a fiver a performance to put on Class (for the retrospective ones last year too). Another £45 towards the cause. Doesn’t sound much actually, does it? May be I should make it a tenner a performance.Text the girls when I got home to let them know. Trying to arrange a catch up next week. Need to keep them on the boil.

16th Feb

Class Stage Productions has been born. Just looked at London rehearsal schedule. Starts end of May, full on through June and July. Feel exhausted looking at it. Because we’ve scheduled 5 performances, we’ve got 8 nights back to back – Set build, Technical Rehearsal, Dress Rehearsal + show.

17th Feb

Did a load of photocopying Class publicity then drove to north London for the Edinburgh Fringe Roadshow at The Pleasance Theatre. You wouldn’t know it was there- a little gem in a cobbled mews in a very industrial area. They had a panel talking through finding a venue, publicity, press releases and generally what to expect. One of the guys on the panel is a performer, who has been at the Fringe for the past 4 years with his ‘minicab’ show, which drives around the streets giving live performances. Should imagine it’s fantastic with the stuff he was coming out with. Felt a tad out of place in the audience. It was made up of cerise and purple pashminas and elaborate creative type hats. Note to self. Must buy hat to look creative. The more obscure the better. I could may be knit a croissant in to a beret.

Then the Roadshow broke out in to various venues lobbying at little tables. Spoke to quite a few venue people. One with halitosis and a double glazing sales spin to sign up there and then and wasn’t remotely interested in what kind of show you have. I could have presented her with a turd to be fair and she’d still have tried to sign me up. Otherwise I’ve got several more places to apply to now.

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