Cutting a Dash on the Royal Mile

This morning the round red metal tubes on the Royal Mile are fresh for sticking posters on. This afternoon a tourist is taking a photograph of herself next to the display of show posters. A street performer jokes that the tubes will be one foot thicker if she comes back next week. He jests with a show troop in purple T shirts, “People will only put them on top of yours!” The leader of the purple T-shirted crew heckles “What do you think I’m doing, I’m putting them over someone else’s?”

The man on the unicycle thanks Edinburgh city for allowing street theatre before mounting his steed. Although we are competing hand over fist for space to stick up our posters it momentarily feels like we are all in it together. An acrobatic show team is hitting the top of the display boards with their posters. I take the alternative approach and crouch low to fit mine on the bottom hoping this is worth the risk of all my belongings falling into the rain water that is flushing down the High Street. I covet the top bit but let’s face it the acrobatic man has brought his own ladder. Respect.

I take every chance to network. In the al fresco bar behind me a lady asks me the name of the instrument I play, as my props are still slung low on my back in a black bag. I explain it is a noose prop designed by Abby Louise Price for my show. She explains “I’m a private investigator. What was the case?”

Enjoying this magical Edinburgh moment with a huge crowd staring at one man juggling in orange furry flared pants a friend reminds me via a text message that “Edinburgh is all about the flyers.” Then the satsuma coloured street entertainer chimes in with a comment about my poster efforts, “you’re doing this at the wrong time”. The street performer has stopped the show, he’s staring at me sticking posters near his blades. As he flings a sword onto the ground and misses, intentionally giving the audience the best thrill, it feels that selling a show on the Fringe is like an endlessly moving target that I sometimes may misfire on. If this involves a frisson with a weapons juggler then all I can say is it is grand to be part of the show!