The Boy with Tape on his Face is on tour, and I was asked very nicely to open for him on a few nights. Although, to be honest, they could have asked me pretty rudely and I’d still have said yes. “Really Mr Comedian, you want to pay ME to tell jokes to YOUR lovely big crowds that YOU’ve built up with YOUR hard work and talent? Well, I’m not sure… OK, if you insist.” I’m quite tolerant, me. I am also quite hungry, me. Probably have breakfast after this. Me.

After I ended the call to the nice man who asked me, I told Nadia and she got very excited. At the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe, I negotiated a night off from my regular MCing duties to take Nad to The Boy’s show at The Gilded Balloon and it was pretty much the best thing that we saw. No language barrier for Nadia, so no staring blank-faced after the punchlines. I must stop trying jokes out on her.

If you’ve not seen The Boy, he’s a male human with a strip of black gaffer tape on his mouth, two eyes (these are important) a case full of props and bags of talent. He makes crowds whoop with laughter without saying a word and involves audience members in such wonderful ways, bringing out their playful sides and almost always making them heroes (like Adam Hills’ crowd work but without all that talking stuff). The applause they get for their efforts is rapturous. Rapturous does not mean “like a dinosaur”. Also, velociraptors were nothing like the Jurassic Park movie made them out to be.

Silence in comedy is an interesting thing. As a stand-up that says things into a microphone, being able to hear a pin-drop can mean you’re doing amazingly well or dreadfully badly. A couple of years ago, I did a Saturday night guest spot at The Comedy Cafe where there was absolute, 100% silence in the middle of a set-up. I had them. This Saturday night bunch of stags and hens were actually listening, the comedic tension was palpable and the laughter that came with the release of the punchline was deafening. A year later I was doing an opening 20 in the same venue on a Thursday, and the only thing that was deafening was the silence that met a handful of my punchlines. Same venue, same material, same silence, just a few seconds later than planned. They were right, timing is important. And comedy is weird.

What is also weird is that silent comedy is possibly the reason I started doing stand-up. It’s certainly one of the reasons. When I was at primary school I was in the choir. I didn’t want to be, my mum made me join, and it was one of the very wisest things that wise Welsh woman has done, along with giving me an Eddie Izzard tape for Christmas and getting broadband. Every year the choir did a show with singing, dancing, acting (an’ ting), usually focussed on a particular decade. I think it was the Roaring 20′s show in which we did a silent movie skit. I played a drunken chef on a ship. I was 7 or 8, so obviously they knew I had what it took. Plus my acting is, like, SO method. I was going to grow a moustache for the part but they insisted on drawing it on with an eyebrow pencil. Whatevs.

Anyway, I had to stagger on with a “slop” (streamers and confetti) bucket in one hand and a wine bottle in the other, get my balance on the “deck” (stage) of the “rocking ship” (school hall), put my “now-empty” (previously empty) wine bottle down, look out to sea and, after a one-two-three gather of momentum, fling the contents of the bucket out into the audience… then pick up my bucket and stagger off. One night, a fair chunk of the streamers landed on the edge of the stage. Now, I like a tidy “ship’s deck” as much as the next 7-or-8-year-old drunken chef, so after picking up my wine bottle I looked at the offending items, eyed up this chap in the front row, looked back at the streamers and kicked them into his “lap” (face). Cue big laugh as I staggered off back to the “ship’s galley” (4th year classroom). I don’t remember thinking about doing it, I don’t know what made me do it and at the time I didn’t think anything of it, but looking back that audience reaction to a genuine piece of improvisation is probably the first big laugh I got from a large room full of strangers and, subconsciously, I think I always wanted to make other strangers laugh in other rooms. There is a photo of the chef, sorry, there is a photo of me as the chef (told you I was “method”) in my parents’ downstairs WC/cloakroom. Not the usual type of photo people take into the toilet, but anyway…

So, about these other strangers in other rooms… I’ve heard that doing tour support can be tough. Comedian friends of mine have told me tales of hordes of punters staring at them with faces that say “Who the flip are you? You’re not Ricky Gervais. Stop wasting my time.” A bit OTT that they actually wrote it on their faces! How big are their heads?! How long can I pretend to misunderstand something for comic effect? We’ll see. Thankfully though, I had no such issues and told jokes and things like jokes to lovely crowds at The Stables in Milton Keynes (where the map looks like excel), The Komedia in Brighton (where people have names like Bixie and… Nick! Nick?! Really?!) and the spectacular Wiltons Music Hall in London. Wiltons, the oldest Grand Music Hall in the world, and the crowd therein were amazing. They even pre-emptively started a Save Wiltons appeal because they had heard about my comedy and were worried I was going to blow the roof off! Or maybe the appeal was already in place because the place is older than Old Mr Olderton from Oldsville.

Thanks to The Boy and his agent for giving me the gigs and the audience members who said nice things on twitter and facebook. And my mum, for making me be in the choir and drawing my moustache on with her eyebrow pencil.

It was a very difficult choice (sorry Raizing Arizona, sorry Office Space, sorry Holy Grail, sorry various others…) but I went with this little lot.

For starters, I’m going to be using that for short blog entries and to share cool things I find on the intertron, like bits of Useful Comedy Advice or sweet videos.

Go check it out and feel free to do the various following, liking and reblogging things that tumblr lets you. I think it does. I don’t know. I’m still working it out.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2011 has come and gone and I really enjoyed it. I was really rather worried about how it might go, what with being a largely unknown comedian in a largely unknown venue and doing all my flyering, PR and everything myself.

But people came. Lots of them (I averaged 30+ per show). And the vast majority enjoyed it, as did I. I even got a bunch of reviewers in, most of whom said nice things.

I’ve come back to London with a pocket full of stars and a nose full of snot. Yes, I escaped Fringe flu for most of the Fringe, only to pick it up on the last day. Bleurgh.

Anyway, it just goes to show that you don’t necessarily need to be in a Big 4 venue or throw thousands at publicists to get a bit of success. It helps, sure, but there are other ways and not only through doing the Free Fringe or Free Festival. When I’m not so full of snot I’ll be sharing how I went about dong the Fringe this year, which I hope might be helpful in some way. I definitely made some mistakes and probably got lucky with some things too, but I reckon I made some good decisions that really paid off.

I’m already thinking about next year. I’ve got a whole heap of ideas and I’d like to do 2 of them in 2012 (I’d do more but it might be too much). I’ve got ideas for a stand-up show and a storytelling show, plus I’d like to do some sketch stuff and I also want to MC more. I do it so much in London but I didn’t have time for crowd work in my show. I think I’ll put together a rotating bill of my stand-up buddies on the Free Fringe.

But these are all just ideas. Right now I’m excited about the gigs I’ve got coming up. I’m supporting The Boy With Tape On His Face on a few tour dates as well as MCing a whole heap of gigs for Crack Comedy. That little lot and the sitcom script I’m working on should keep me busy I reckon.

Oh, one last thing. I’m thinking of doing one or two more nights of my show (probably in October) somewhere in London… if people will come. If you’ve missed the show, or seen it and would like to see it again, or know people who you think would like it, I’d like to hear from you. Get in touch via email, twitter or facebook.

Well, we’re sort of half-way there, if you use my day-off as the half-way marker. We’re actually 44% of the way there, and what a wonderful 11 shows they’ve been. Every day is different, but I’m chuffed with the size and response of the audiences. I always do a little survey at the start of each show to find out who has seen me before. It’s lovely seeing familiar faces that came to see the free shows I was in at the 2008 and 2009 Fringes (and 2010 Comedy Reserve), and I also feel genuinely privileged that people who haven’t seen me are taking a chance and seeing me for the first time. I’ve not been on TV or anything, and while I know my gentle nerdy storytelling is not for everyone, it’s nice to see people having a punt and the vast majority seem to be happy with their fiver’s worth!

If you have seen my show and liked it, please recommend it to someone, either in person while waiting in one of those massive Fringe show queues, or online at edfringe.com, lovefringe.com or any others.

I’ve not yet seen as much as I usually do at the Fringe, but here are my recommendations so far…

Glenn Wool and Andrew Maxwell are two of my favourites, both very different in style to me but both are on top form. They’ll make you laugh til you cry.

The Gentlemen of Leisure have a cracking sketch/double-act show about novels. They’re on at the same time as me so I saw them on my day off and was glad I did.

Michael J Dolan is an excellent comedian and his show is both hilarious and free!

Finally, I was lucky enough to do previews with James Acaster, Holly Walsh and Andy Zaltzman and all of them were brilliant.

Go and see all of them! Go! Now!

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Shameless plug time: If you haven’t seen the show yet, you can find info here and tickets here. While you’re here, you should follow me on twitter for latest news an’ ting.

Actually, eggs aren’t usually round are they. They’re sort of egg-shaped, which means ones that are round probably aren’t good.

Anyway, the point is that I am here, at the Fringe, and did my first show today. If you want to know more you’ll have to listen to my soundcloud diary entry.

I’ll be doing more soundcloud thingame-jigs as part of soundsoffringe.com. So check back soon for more, or follow me (on soundcloud or twitter) to stay right up to date.

My first Fringe going solo. I’ve been going as a punter since 2003, as a performer since 2008, and in less than a week I’ll be doing my 1st hour show. I am excited and nervous in equal, extra-large measure. I’m producing, publicising and flyering it. Oh, and I am performing. Must remember that bit.

I’ve managed to get a few previews in, although I feel I may have been a little spoilt as they’ve all been lovely. Have a look at what happened on Monday:

I’ve still got a little bit of work to do on the show but feedback has been very positive, even from strangers! I’m hoping feedback from the press will be similar, although I’m not sure any of them will come. I haven’t got an agent or publicist and while I back my ability as a stand-up, I’m not really comfortable with badgering journalists and selling myself. I know it’s something I really need to do if I want to be a success at this thing called comedy, but I’d rather people see the show, like the show and tell other people.

What do I want out of doing the Fringe? Well, I’ve got huge dreams but small expectations. All of us would love awards, five-star reviews and sold-out shows. In reality, I’d like to improve as a comedian, get a couple of nice reviews and maybe link-up with an agent/manager. And I’d like to have fun and see some shows. I’ve already got tickets to see some of my favourites and some stuff I’ve never seen before. There’s tons of free shows that look good this year too.

I’ll try to post some blogs, video diaries and other bits and pieces during the festival. I’ll be doing the odd bit of audio recording as part of SoundCloud’s Sounds of Fringe. And if you see me out and about come and say hello.

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My show, ‘Tom Goodliffe: The Good Liffe’, will be on every day from the 4th to the 29th of August (except for Monday 15th) at 3.45pm at Cabaret Voltaire. Tickets are a fiver and can be bought here.

If you’ve already seen the show (or a preview) and liked it, please let your fellow comedy fans know by leaving feedback/reviews on any of these websites:

LoveFringe, Chortle (in the comments section), The List, edfringe.com, Edinburgh Festivals… or any others you can find!

Ticket sales have been steady, but as a man addicted to checking his email, I’ve also picked up another compulsion… checking my ticket sales. Recently I came up with this idea to make the whole process a little more fun…

The Edfringe Ticket Sales Drinking Game!

Now, I know Fringey types hardly need an excuse to drink, sorry “network”, but anyway… Here are the rules:

1) Download your latest ticket sales report.

2) Compare it to your last ticket sales report.

3) For every new ticket sold, take a drink.

4) For every half-price, Friends of the Fringe or otherwise discounted ticket sold, take another drink.

5) For every day you haven’t sold a single ticket, take a drink.

6) If you haven’t sold a ticket since the last report, finish your drink.

Yep, number 6 is in there to level the playing field. And to stop me from downloading my ticket report every hour. See, I don’t really drink. And that’s fine, because I haven’t got drunk from this game yet. Make of that what you will! If you don’t drink, try substituting alcohol for a bag of cookies and see how much weight you gain. I’ll take cookies over booze any day of the week.

Let me know how you get on. I’ll probably work it out from the typos in your email.

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My show, ‘Tom Goodliffe: The Good Liffe’, is at the Edinburgh Fringe from the 4th to the 29th of August, 3.45pm (60 mins), Cabaret Voltaire. Get tickets here.

To get in touch with me about the Fringe or anything else, email me.

You can also follow me on Twitter or join my mailing list to stay in touch.