So, this is it. I had officially taken a year off performing (apart from the odd spot here and there) but we're finally starting again. I'm going to start this blog again, twitter also. Firstly, I will be performing in this show in Edinburgh every day: https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/alexander-bennett-s-afraid-of-the-dark
I will probably not be doing the Edinburgh Podcasts, unless someone is willing to give me recording equipment. But stay tuned about that. Also, I'm getting back into regular stand-up, see the gig list to the right of this blog.
The reasons why I decided not to do stand-up for a while have to do with the sheer visceral intensity of performing. If I don't do a gig for months, and then do one, the hit of adrenaline is enough to keep me an insomniac for 2 nights, then dropping violently and feeling horrible for a week. So, I reasoned, doing stand-up in Holland just isn't worth it. I was only able do gig about once a month (if I was lucky) and once, because the MC had forgotten to tell the audience I was doing the gig in English, I wasn't able to do any material and improvise for 10 minutes in Dutch. This wasn't such a disaster as I felt it would be when I saw everyone in the audience unable to switch languages. It wasn't even that late; Nijmegen, you disappointed me.
The last gig I did in Holland was in Utrecht, at Tivoli. This was fun, especially since the MC was so thoughtful to introduce me as the 'ugliest comic on the circuit', which was exactly why I wasn't successful in the UK. The reveal, that I actually was Dutch, was pretty cool. I love the look on people's faces when their cognitive system bridges the gap of non-understanding to understanding. That's also a lot of fun when you're teaching. The moment where people go: 'OoohhaahahahahahaaHAAA!!' is a pretty good summation of my style at the moment.
So I will be doing Edinburgh properly, with a full show, for the first time since I first came to the Festival in 2009. Edinburgh has changed my life, all for the good. I'll probably talk about it in one of the coming blogs. The year I spent in Brighton, at Sussex University (written about extensively on this blog) was incredible on many levels, including doing about 80 gigs. For the past two years I had to focus on my health and finishing my Bachelor's degree. I will be in London for a week and a bit, then back to Holland for a spell, then the Fringe. I cannot wait. This will be followed by moving to London in September. I'm going to be doing an MA in Comparative Literature at UCL, attempt to keep on losing weight (aim: 90 kilos by 2014), teaching German and French and (hopefully) gigging every night. That should be possible, so if you happen to run a night, contact me on twitter, on here or via email. I don't mind travelling.
More stories coming this week.
It's good to be back.
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