The loneliness of the one-man performer

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Well, as we enter into week two of the longest festival in the history of the world I am feeling in high spirits- surprisingly not linked to my high spirits consumption. No, it's a special place this- you would have to be such a cynically hardened performer to take no enjoyment from the fever that flies around these cobbled streets every day.

Creeping behind me though is a foreboding shadow of loneliness, ready to envelop me at any given moment. I know that despite being amongst my peers and friendly audiences, my family and mates are a long way away and most of my conversations are held in joke form on stage with strangers.

Many of the shows you see here are one-man/woman hours which, for the performer, can prove an intensely lonely business. Some find ways around this- perhaps a bit of jovial banter during or a meet-and-greet after. Tom Binns' incredible turn as dead celebrity channelling psychic Ian D Montfort has him coaxing secrets out of stunned audiences, creating a room where everybody ends up not just laughing themselves silly but knowing each other's names and a few interesting facts about them. Cracking stuff and a sure-fire loneliness beater.

Spare a thought then for Pip Utton in his one-man dramatic retelling of the Hunchback of Notre Dame story. He has an actress playing Esmerelda who lies dead on stage for the entire hour. She came over from the States, as did her whole family on the first day. We share a venue and, fascinated by this almost enforced self alienation, I watched in horror as the young girl quit after the first two days, replaced for one show by Mrs Utton, then a rolled up duvet. Open auditions began this weekend gone.

Watch this space.

August for us can be gruelling, sometimes the retreat into one's own mind seems the only option but the spirit of the Fringe means there will always be a friendly face within arms length. Tap them on the shoulder and get the beers in.