Love. Stories. on 26th Aug 23

Camden Fringe – the first of 2 shows at the end of the festival. Held at Aces & Eights Saloon Bar, Tufnell Park, London N5. The pic is of me sharing flyers at Tufnell Park Tube Station.

My first Camden Fringe show in a cool bar. With an appropriately timed Bank Holiday Weekend deluge during the afternoon and a lovely audience, we created this…

Everyone loved the stage with its seductive curtain backdrop and candles on the tables to complete the cabaret club vibe.

‘She went off on one then.’ It must be ‘A Sign’.

The World Cup of Love Songs was a battle of legends!

The results were:

Semi-Final 1: L.O.V.E. by Frank Sinatra v Yellow by Coldplay

Result: L.O.V.E. 2 – 6 Yellow

Semi-Final 2: Simply Beautiful by Al Green (perhaps) v Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley

Result: Simply Beautiful 4 – 5 Can’t Help Falling In Love

World Cup Final

Result: Yellow 8 – 3 Can’t Help Falling In Love

I confessed to reading a poem at my wedding…and I didn’t even blub.

As ever, Humi was not well served, but Lizzo made it alright.

Audience Love. Stories.

There was a Valentines Card received at age 13 or 14 – extra points for a Valentines’ card. Double extra-points because the recipient still has it. Happy hamster!

There was a romance in a far flung land. There was dating - a chap from South Africa. Reader, she was ‘soooooo into him’ but he had to return home. He did, however, get a leaving gift – a glass dolphin. When next they met, some 5 years later, it wasn’t quite the same and by then…he had a wife.

A couple’s dating was interrupted by a 3-week holiday – he had to go away. She, however, had a spare key and when he returned, he returned to messages on many, many Post-It Notes. Aaaah. She had even stocked his fridge. That’s love for you.

Huge thanks to those who opened their hearts to share their stories – they were great.

There was heartache, the sound of heartache...again and again.

And there was 'happiness and commitment and preening that almost matches that of Puffins.'

Grateful thanks to Sytske of Striplight Productions for looking after me and to the team at Aces & Eights.

As ever, huge thanks to the lovely people who gave up a bit of their Bank Holiday weekend to make a show with me.

Mark xx