Chris Durkin: Easily Distracted: Café Royal, Edinburgh, 2006
I was sitting mid-way back with a friend of mine, a reviewer, at the Café Royal in Edinburgh waiting to see new comedian Chris Durkin. The only other person at this 2006 Edinburgh Fringe show was sitting in the front row of the small room. When Durkin appeared, he thanked us all for coming along to his show and told us that it was not worth performing that day as there were only three people in the audience and offered to buy us all a drink at the bar. ‘No!’ said the man on the front row, ‘I’ve paid six pounds and I want to see the act!’ Clearly nervy, Durkin then had to reluctantly deliver the show which wasn’t by any means bad. The age-old lesson of the show must go on was reinforced that day although I have never heard of him perform again since which is a shame.