Showed Out

One fine morning, half way through my first week in Edinburgh, I had sat in bed idly leafing my way through the fringe programme, making a list of shows I wanted to see. When I had finished carefully writing them all down, I then divided them into different categories based on their time slots and venues. When that was done, I carefully placed the list in my bag, where it remained unopened and unlooked at for the entire length of the festival, until a few days ago.

I was rooting around inside my man-bag looking for something else, when I fished out a piece of paper. The List. With a small cry of disbelief and excitement, I opened it and began mentally crossing off all the shows I’d seen that I had meticulously listed so many weeks ago. I was shocked to discover that I had barely seen half of the shows I had intended to see. I had taken things too casually, too leisurely, and now time was running out! So many shows to see and so little time to see them in!

There wasn’t a moment to be lost. I needed to try and cram as many shows as possible into the remaining time left available. But first, I needed to make a new list. This new and improved list needed to be streamlined, more selective. I couldn’t waste time on shows that hadn’t got good reviews or that I hadn’t heard were excellent. It was time to separate the wheat from the chaff. Get rid of excess baggage! Cut loose the quartermaster (that last one doesn’t make sense, mostly because I just made it up, but I like it so it stays). I sat down and made another list. It took me all afternoon to write out, but the end result was astonishing. It was a very good list (as far as lists go). It had categories and underlined words and everything. It was a list to be proud of.

Next, it was time to knock off a few shows from that list. I started in earnest, watching about three shows in one day, but to be honest my heart wasn’t in it. It came as surprise to me. I mean, I had a list and all! What was wrong? Was I ill? Was something the matter? Then I realised what the problem is: I’m showed out. I’ve seen as many shows as I could possibly want to see in one month. I’ve overdosed on shows and I don’t want to see any more. It doesn’t matter what they are, I’m not interested. I’ve simply seen too many shows.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I don’t appreciate the shows I’ve seen. I’ve seen some awesome ones (and some, well, shockingly terrible ones too). It’s just that I’ve had enough. I want to do other stuff now, more normal everyday kind of stuff. I want to sit in front of the telly and watch a good film, or go to dinner at a friend’s flat. I’m surprised at myself for saying this, but I suppose one can overdose on anything, even really good stuff. I love ice-cream, but try eating it a few times a day, every day for a month and I’m pretty sure the novelty will soon wear off. I love pizza, but even eating my favourite pizza is going to fill me up at some point. Same with the fringe, I’m afraid. It’s been great, but I’m finally full.