Getting my arse in gear.

I`ve decided, as I do most weeks, that now is the time to knuckle down, get to work and become a man of action. Since starting this blog about my life as an aspiring comedian I haven`t actually done any gigs. Also, I saw that Sara Millican is through to the finals of the BBC new comedy awards. My second (disastrous) gig was also one of Sara`s first, and I`ve also met her at New Word Order workshops (more on them in a future entry.) Seeing how far Sara`s come in the same period has given me resolve to work a bit harder myself. I did get through to the first round of the BBC comp, but to find out how I failed to get any further you`ll have to wait for my account of that gig.

Anyway, I am going to increase my output - but first some input.

INPUT- Tomorrow I`m going to see Mark Thomas and Rob Newman in Durham. I`m not really sure what to expect. I like some of Thomas`s stuff, though for left-wing comedians called Mark who also teach you something I prefer Mark Steel. I think Thomas sometimes goes too far, like when he had a meeting with a company developing pig livers which could be used in human transplants. He`d made up some donor cards saying, `After my death I would like my organs to be chopped up and dumped in a bin.` He was trying to imply the evil money grabbing company would heartily endorse such a product.

I haven`t seen anything by Newman in years, though hopefully he`s still good. He did, after all, co-create History (...that`s you that is.) Today.

On Monday I`m going to Newcastle`s Egypt Cottage, for the first of what should be weekly comedy nights. Callumn ??? (God, I`m bad with names.) who I also met at a New Word Order workshop is doing a spot.

OUTPUT- With any luck I`ll blag a spot and be there myself the following Monday.