EDINBURGH 2017: A Day At The Fringe- Nicola Wren

Edinburgh Festival Fringe performer Nicola Wren blogs for BWW to give us an insight into a day at the Fringe.

One of the best things about the Fringe is the unpredictability of it all, so it's hard to define exactly what a day in the life of a performer might entail. In my experience, as a performer of a show I've also written, it's something like this;

Wake up, early, not intentionally, probably because of the nerves. My show is at 2.15pm so I don't have long to wait around. I try to stay in bed as long as possible to rest up, listen to a few podcasts, have a cup of tea and eat breakfast.

This year, I signed up to a swimming pool near the flat I'm living in, so before the show I'll pop in there, have a little dip and sit in the sauna for a bit. It's amazing and worth every penny. I also like being there because my phone is locked away and I can't be manically checking ticket sales or scouring Twitter for reviews. Then I'll head into the heart of it all and start flyering at 12pm. I do an hour of flyering and then have an hour before my show to get focussed and eat something.

I go to loos by the Pleasance Grand and hum for a bit, get warmed up vocally - then, bam! It's 2pm, I'm in costume, ready to get in to the space- the tech team are incredible and do all of it so that I can go over bits of the play that need work and get used to the space. Then I sit on stage and wait for the audience to come in. Try to focus on the play and not how many people are coming, remind myself that even if it's a small crowd, they still absolutely deserve the best performance I can give.

The show finishes, I'll either head home for a bit or go to the swimming pool (if I haven't been before the show) for some quiet time. Or, if friends are up, go for cake at Hula Café with them. Then I'll potter along to a couple of shows in the late afternoon or evening. I have a strict policy with myself that if another performer or writer has come to see my show, then, if I haven't already seen theirs, I will go to it either the same day, the day after, or have booked tickets for a later date. I think that's really important. It's such a wonderful feeling when fellow performers take the time out to come and support you and, because we're here all month, we really do need the support.

The evening rolls in and there's time for socialising and soaking up the buzz of the fringe, before back to bed and then doing the whole thing all over again.

Timings and ticket information for Replay are available on the edfringe website.

Photo credit: Jamie Knighton

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