By Steve Roe
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Music Box have become superstitious

After being here almost two weeks it's strange that out of the madness of Edinburgh a routine has developed. Even The Royal Mile itself has become normal, with patterns developing out the chaos. Jules from our group will always be stood at the upper end, looking dapper and chatting in a charming manner to tourists. Behind him will be The Lord of the Flies gang, standing in the rain wearing ripped shorts and t-shirts. In front of him will be a solo Free Fringe comedian keeping cheerful while announcing 'Free Comedy at The Espionage into a megaphone.

At the other end of the mile Chasing Dragons will be holding up banners and standing protectively over their posters. At random points a chap dressed in full costume will be shouting out Shakespearian Black Comedy, No Pun Intended'.

In the middle of the mile Rock and Soul will be holding banners and playing guitar. Various improv groups will be standing on pillars. The Korean clowns dressed as babies from Babbling Comedy 2 will be dancing relentlessly. The Gaga Men will be announcing "Japanese Comedy, very funny comedy show".

And my role appears to have become walking up and down the length of the mile wearing my beloved sandwich board.

Even in the torrential rain of a couple of days ago this routine was still going on. There weren't even any potential audience members on the mile, and at one point it was just the people with shows stood in the pouring rain holding a flyer into thin air. This prompted us all into fits of giggles at the ridiculousness of the situation.

Why where we still there, doing the same thing, when there was nothing but rain?

In my opinion it was superstition. Once something is working for the show we don't want to change any of it, just in case. I have to keep my sandwich board in the same place, wear the same shows, walk the same route, put posters in the same place at the same time or EVERYTHING WILL GO WRONG!

I'm not like this at home. Edinburgh has turned me into this ridiculous character.

I'm also now catching myself believing in Karma. I can't say anything bad about someone else's show, as I feel it will come back 10x stronger on my show. I was shopping in Tesco and someone had left their credit card in the self serve machine, so I handed it in and thought "great! this means my show tomorrow will be amazing!"

I don't usually believe any of this stuff. I actually studied Engineering at University, and now I believe that holding a door open for someone on Tuesday will actually affect the show I'm in on Wednesday.

A lot of this may have been brought on because we've had reviewers in but the reviews haven't come out yet. I'm checking on line on lap tops and phones pretty much all the time, along with ticket sale. I feel like Schrödinger's cat, I'm currently simultaneously in the bad review and good review state. I've prepared myself for all outcomes, but it's pretty much all I can think/worry about at the moment.

The other mythical thing that keeps floating around is the concept of 'next year'. In the build up to Edinburgh most performers I know say something along the lines of "I'm not doing this again, it doesn't make any financial/creative sense, I'm better off going on holiday to Greece for a week and concentrating on my London life". Yet within a couple of days there are so many micro-lessons that have been learnt that it becomes addictive, and I'm already planning 'next year'.

- by Steve Roe

Any opinions expressed above do not represent the view of Whatsonstage.com nor any of its staff or contributors beyond the bylined author.

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Other Posts By Steve Roe
	Bye Bye Edinburgh - 29th Aug 2011 blog
	Why are most comedy groups white, middle class twenty/early thirty-somethings? - 21st Aug 2011 blog
	Edinburgh Advice 308: You will get ill anyway, so you might as well drink - 19th Aug 2011 blog
	Riots & Reviews - 9th Aug 2011 blog
	The Music Box Sandwich Board, Best Thing I've Ever Done - 8th Aug 2011 blog
	Dr. Music Box's Prevention of the Edinburgh Lurgy - 6th Aug 2011 blog
	Music Box First Show - 3rd Aug 2011 blog
	Edinburgh To-Do No.456: Be in a good mood. - 1st Aug 2011 blog
	Ahhhhh! Edinburgh! - 29th Jul 2011 blog
	Agent Music Box Reporting For Duty - 27th Jul 2011 blog