John Bly On Henry Blofeld & Performing in Edinburgh for the First Time

It seemed such a good idea at the time. The Edinburgh Festival – wow! On stage with Henry Blofeld, fantastic! But what about that audience, described to me by my radio interviewer as ‘tough’. Do they really heckle and throw things? Then the interviewer reminded me that Blowers and Bly were both the newest and the oldest act on the Fringe. Hmmm. Blowers will chuckle when I tell him. But our show is not scripted, so what happens if we dry up? No chance of that with Blowers. I say something that will wind him up for a week and he runs like a clock for a fortnight. He’s so great to work with – and to play with too. We laugh together as much off stage as on.

I’m thinking all this as I mentally pack my bags for the umpteenth time, and I still don’t know which and how many shirts to take. I don’t care what anyone says, however much you look forward to a gig, as soon as you start preparing for it there’s that little knot in the stomach. Like Blowers I’ve been doing after-dinners and ‘evenings with’ one-man shows for years, plus my own show on ITV, various bit parts in other people’s and thirty years on the Antiques Roadshow, so you would think I have got used to the mixed feelings of anticipation, but no, coming to the Edinburgh Festival and the knot’s getting a little tighter!

And with all this rambling I still haven’t decided which shirts to pack. But suddenly I can’t wait to get off that train in Edinburgh and get swept up in the palpable atmosphere of pumping adrenalin, surrounded by people who are creating it and like me going through all those emotions while walking around looking or trying to look at ease. I’m now thinking of all those other wonderful acts and spectacles to see, thinking of all that talent gathered in one place – the greatest and most celebrated arts festival in the world, The Edinburgh Festival. And with my chum Blowers, I’m going to be part of it for a few glorious hours….oh Away Dull Care and bugger the shirts.