Just Do More, Richards

I feel lazy for only a doing a week at the fringe this year. In previous years, Young Richards would do all three weeks, 8 shows a day, and barely notice it (apart from the 'shingles year'). I could still do that now, I reckon I'm in quite good shape but Aggie needed a holiday, and straight after that we had to attend the wedding of a close mate, and everything just seemed to land awkwardly in August. So here I am, just up for the final week, 8 days, 2 shows a day like the lazy part-timer I am. The shows were 'No Dreams' (which ran in Durham recently, as well as opening in France before that and a brief Cambridge run...it's a sleepy, slow little show and I was a bit worried about how it would go down in front of lively fringe audiences) and 'There's a Band Playing...' (my Leicester Comedy Festival show, which has also had runs at the Brighton and Bedford Fringes, as well as house shows etc - it's a loud show, booked for a central, loud room, I we...

 "That's Africa over there," pointed out my wife, as we sipped gin on our balcony whilst we sailed away from our final port. At that point, I realised I may actually be middle class. Rest assured, first day back and I've just picked up a four-pack of Carlsberg from our local Londis. But, for the past two weeks I've been winging it well enough, I reckon, wearing my tux more than I ever have done, eating the fine foods. I even washed my hair every day and only swore once at an old person who didn't know how to queue.  We've just returned from our two weeks away on a cruise. I'm not a holiday sort of person, so two weeks away at sea, with limited internet (sometimes two days totally off-grid), away from my dog, who is my favourite thing in the whole world, away from...well, drums...on a beautiful cruise ship with amazing restaurants, top class entertainment but could easily be considered a 'floating prison' if you see it that way...I wasn't re...