Potato Betrayal

Warming Up

8283/21202

Where am I? Dirty Diana?

Alex Love blueskyed me with the terrible news that the Richard Herring jacket potato (orange cheese and mango chutney) is no longer on the Tempting Tattie menu. After all I've done for them. This was literally my only claim to fame. I can't get on TV any more, I've never won a stand up award, I've never received an honorary degree or an MBE for all my charity work (just cos I never talk about it), but I did have a baked potato named after me (and a bridge, though there's some argument over that).

Now even that has been taken from me.

I had passed the TT yesterday with the kids and was bragging about my potato. Had it not been shut then I would have taken them inside to see my name on the menu so they could see that their dad really was someone. Thank God it was too early. Imagine if I had gone in there and pointed at the menu only for them to realise that my name wasn't on there. They would not only think their dad was not a big deal, but such a small deal that he goes around pretending to have a potato named after him. A paucity of ambition to make even Gary Sparrow feel like he had life-goals.

Why have I been stripped of my potato? What did I ever do the Tempting Tattie? Apart from organising all those people to come and visit just after lunchtime so that I could break the place.

Sometimes I've worried that my fairly dim star was on the wane or that everything was over for me, but with the loss of this potato it's clear it's over. And my last chance to impress my kids is gone.

Gone and also forgotten. Orange cheese, mango chutney.

So far I am really enjoying the Fringe. The weight of all the previous years is not pressing down on me and I am able to recall past events with a smile rather than sinking into depression. Last time I was here the kids were just a bit too young and so it was just doing the show and doing child care, but we're having lots of fun with them this time.

We went to see Olaf Falafel this morning in a packed Counting House and it was a very enjoyable and silly show. Ernie is a huge fan (having interviewed Olaf last week) but when Olaf asked Phoebe if she'd enjoyed it she basically said No. Olaf took it in good spirit. There's a brief period between 10 and 18 where you have to pretend not to like childish humour any more. She'll be back.

After a couple of smallish houses for previews, there was 125 people in for today's RHLSTP with Tom Rosenthal (and tomorrow looks like it's heading for a sell-out). Tom did RHLSTP right at the end of the 2019 Fringe and felt that he'd done a bad job (I am not sure he's right, but check it out yourself), but he was well up for it today and it was a lively show where I got angry with Scotland (mainly due to my loss of a potato) and we came up with an idea for a show for babies that might win the comedy (or drama) awards next year. My brain is already failing though. I couldn't remember the names of Henri Bergson and Justin Lee Collins (it was a wide-ranging chat), but sometimes an atrophying brain leads to great or at least inappropriate comedy.

Catie and the kids leafletted the audience as they left. Phoebe is very excited as she's making her Fringe debut on Saturday (and also appearing Sunday), helping Catie with the dance at the end of the show. So if you want to see the first appearance of a future Fringe legend, BOOK NOW.

I think it means Ernie will have to come on and do some jokes at the top of my show at some point. Which will be proper chaos. I hate being the fourth funniest person in my family.

RHLSTP with Ian Smith is now up wherever you get your podcasts.