Graeme Garden's tour diary - entry #3
09/04/2007 00:00 GMT

Posted by lisa

Graeme Garden has again provided the fans with an update of his & Tim's adventures while they're on the road with The Goodies Still Rule OK! tour (thanks, Graeme!).  Note that the tour continues through April 18th; the final dates will be in Croydon, Derby, Dartford, Eastbourne, Oxford, and Northampton.  Full details are available in our FAQ here.

DIARY

Hard to believe we’re almost on the last lap, although it also feels as if we’ve been on the road forever!

Weds April 3rd in Hull.
The show went well with a good sized crowd.  The audience was very appreciative though discriminating as, to start with, they didn’t just laugh at everything and anything, but by the end were really into it all and cheering away for the finale.
A fair number waiting at the stage door, including a slightly scary ageing punk who kept getting things signed for his 3 yr-old niece, who liked Bill, and his Mum who liked Ken Dodd. 

Thursday and it must be Bradford.
The show tonight went very well with a reasonable number in a big hall. There seemed to be a few members from the website at the stage door after, including Jess and her lovely Mum.
Tim and I went for an Indian meal with an old mate from Cambridge Footlights days which was fun.

Friday and another jolly show in Birmingham. 
The Stage Door crowd included ‘Edna’ and once again Clair, Kate and Helen, who presented us with Easter Eggs.  Mine was inscribed ‘Ungelievagle G nius’ as the ‘e’ had dropped off.

Saw an article in the Scotsman in which I seemed to laugh a lot while being horrible about Bill!  Don’t believe all you read in the papers!

Saturday April 7th.  Tim and I have very fond memories of the Civic Theatre Darlington where we opened ‘The Unvarnished Truth’ nearly 30 years ago.  It was a pleasure to play there again.
We went for a meal with Frank and Matt after the show, so while they packed the bus we had time for a long chat with the Giddies who had turned up.
As I was checking out of the hotel in Darlington on Sunday morning, a middle-aged couple got into the lift.  As it went down the chap smiled primly to me and said, rather quickly:
“Are you farting all this morning?”
A bit taken aback I said “Pardon?”
“Are you farting all this morning?”
“What?!”
He slowed down and spoke more clearly:
“ ’Ave you far to go this morning?”
So that was a relief!

Easter Sunday, Edinburgh.  We’d always had doubts about doing Edinburgh, a huge venue so soon after doing a month at the Fringe.  And sure enough the audience was sparse and most of the folks were scattered around the back of the stalls and balcony.  It was hard work, but there were enough enthusiastic souls to keep the energy going.  It was hard work for us, but we could tell the audience were determined to enjoy themselves, and it paid off in the end.  Panties and roses were thrown on stage at the final bow!

Afterwards we met a couple of Australian lasses who were friends of Karen in Rockhampton, who’s coming over for the Croydon show.  They phoned her up in Oz and she spoke to us and the Giddies who were there.  She was so excited none of us understood a word of what she said, plus it was very early morning for her!  I believe she has posted her account of it!

Time off now, of a sort – I have to record a bit for Holby and we have a meeting for I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, then back on the boards at Croydon.