I don't have a lot of time because I need to pack and sleep, but I have to update you on our first reviews!

We've gotten two so far, and they are BOTH 5 STARS!

You can read them at http://www.remotegoat.co.uk/review_view.php?uid=8939 and http://www.uktw.co.uk/news/All-An-Act/1371.html.

Hope you enjoy. We definitely are. And we will be driving through the night to make our plane in Edinburgh on Thursday morning.

Safe travels,
Kathleen
 
Greetings!

Fantastic show tonight at the Bike Shed, we nearly sold out and had a ton more great feedback! Thanks to the launch party last night, the Devoted and Disgruntled session this weekend, and tremendous support from the guys at Worklight Theatre, we were able to get upwards of 40 people in the house tonight (that's a sold out house in Edinburgh!). And we got to chat with some of them afterward, which was really nice....touching, rather. The support we have received is touching.

And we had a great volunteer from Worklight running front of house, and another great volunteer from Worklight running our lights and sound. Hooray for Worklight!

The guys are currently doing a reading of one of Sean's plays here in the living room, while Adam cooks us dinner and I update the interwebs on our doings. Like the Phonic FM interview today, where we got to hear some great music and chat with DJ Peachy, who has been with the station since its inception and filled us in on how they run the joint, which is really cool. They are non-profit, operate on money they earn off charity concerts, and basically get to do whatever they want because of it. Pretty cool stuff.

And I better not forget, we had at least 2 reviewers in the house tonight , so keep your eyes peeled and we will post those as soon as we get word.

Gotta go eat now and help with dishes. Just want you to know, though - this trip has been amazing. So thank you thank you thank you. I cannot express my disbelief and gratitude about this opportunity.

Love from England,
Kathleen
 
We open our mini-run here in Exeter tonight, and we are pleased as punch. I don't think I've ever been this excited to do the show, the space is incredible (I keep telling people Brooklyn needs the Bike Shed and will never have enough theatre interest to get it, damn musicians) and last night we made the rounds at the Bike Shed Season Launch Party and were immediately plunged into the deep end of the artistic community in Devon. Theatre companies, arts council funders, promoters, media reps, and patrons came out to show their support. We sold something like 15-20 tickets just last night thanks to the efforts of everyone there. We also secured two more reviewers for the show, which leaves us at 5 total now, more than we got in Edinburgh in 13 shows, and we spoke to the BBC while at the party via phone to get the word out even farther. We'll also be on http://www.phonic.fm/ today at 11:30 am New York time (4:30 Exeter time) for another radio interview, this time with a local station that really promotes the arts. AND we'll probably have a bit more freedom to just hang out with them, since we'll be in studio for this one. 

It's really cool to see this community so alive with theatre and theatre makers. I don't know that a more welcoming and supportive community exists on this scale in the US...I highly doubt it, in fact. But it does exist here, and thanks to all the help we received from our fans back home (that's you), we are now an extension of that community and can bring it home with us, and hopefully make our international presence an extra boost for them as well.

See you on closing night,
-The Clowns
 
Hey everyone! We'll be on the BBC tomorrow doing a quick little interview about All an Act. Check it out from anywhere (I think it should be available anywhere, but sometimes internet in foreign countries is different) by going to http://www.bbc.co.uk/radiodevon/ and clicking on Listen Live to the "Shep and Jo Show" which runs 3pm-7pm our time, 10am-2pm Eastern. We should be on towards the end of the show, they've told us they're calling at 6:45 but it may be a hair earlier since they end at 7. Check us out!

-Clown Central
 
Just a quick update from the couch - we are in Exeter, we have seen the theatre, and we are super excited to do the show! We are lucky enough to be crashing on the floor of our How to Start a Riot friends, have gotten confirmation of our radio interview on Monday, have put out some posters and flyers, and are going to a conference of sorts called the Devoted and Disgruntled Roadshow. It should be a good time.

Will update more as things go on, probably on Monday after the interview and kick-off party at the theatre.

xoxo,
Clowns
 
So the Fringe is over - not officially, since there are shows tonight and tomorrow - but for all the shows we had any sort of personal attachment to, the Fringe is over and done with. I think it has been a great experience for so many people, all of the friends we've made here would do it all over again. And we would too, if it didn't cost so dern much. 

It took a lot of hard work and the dedicated support of so many people (that's you) to get us here, and to let you know how successful it was, here are some factoids I've concocted:

All an Act 2012 Edinburgh Fringe Numbers:

13 shows
3 sell-outs
200 or so seats occupied at some point or another(sometimes by the same person three times)
4 reviews(2 4-star, a 3-star from the national newspaper, which is a 4-star anywhere else, and one group of kids playing reviewer[did I say that?])
1 UK tour booked(with two more reviewers and a producer)
46 Production photos taken
100's of photos taken of us on the mile
20 odd(in both meanings) friends made
And endless experience and memories gained we will never forget....

Now that that's taken care of, here's my theory on All an Act's success, from a business standpoint:

If there are 2,700 shows here, there were about 1,000 plays. There is no way 100 of those plays were asked to tour the show, and there is no way 100 of those plays got a 5-star review, or even multiple 4-star reviews. So All an Act is running in the 90th percentile. Not bad for a bunch of grad students who put together a show and a budget, and made both work together. And not bad for a group of 120 or so people who decided to take a chance and help out the aforementioned group of grad students.

Go team.

 
Well you'd think with the Fringe done and the tour set we'd be sitting here having margaritas, with no news in store. But nope, wish we could be that boring (or do I?).

The tour is still going as planned, but as we get ready for it we are trying to promote the show, the international NYC aspect, and of course the huge success we've had here in Edinburgh. So we got a new press release together and some of the best production photos from New York and Edinburgh, and sent it out to a bunch of people in the Exeter/Devon area. And we are starting to get some hits back, the most exciting of which is the BBC Radio interview we'll be doing Monday the 3rd of September, for BBC Radio Devon. Pretty cool stuff, huh? We'll also be receiving at least one, probably two or three, reviews for the show in Exeter. 

We'll keep you updated on everything that we get going, should be hearing back from more and more people as the days go on. 

All an Act takes over the UK, 
-Adam
 
Yes, you read that right. All an Act will be joining The BikeShed Theatre September 4th and 5th for a limited run. The BikeShed Theatre is located in Exeter, and found us through the wonderful folks at How to Start a Riot, who helped us secure the run and are even going to give us a place to sleep. We'll be slightly re-staging the show for a larger stage and then taking most of the same gear down in a rental car, then driving through the night to get back to Edinburgh on the 6th of September for our changed flights. 

This is a bit of a dream come true for all of us, and after the last three nights of our run in Edinburgh were sold out, a perfect way to carry on our momentum a while longer, to another audience and potentially to another group of publications that may have interest in writing about our show.

We continue to be floored by the feedback we get about our show, and the success it has been having. I mean we knew we were good, but not this good...just kidding. The friends we've met here and the many many hearts we've touched will be something we all remember for a long time. And now we think we know what we're doing and what we've got, we'll be able to parlay this success into further iterations of All an Act, like this run at The BikeShed Theatre.

-The Clowns

P.S. check our facebooks and tweeters and everything for some fun photos of us on the Mile...
 
Sold out our last three shows! That ain't bad for a bunch of first timer clowns. This has been so incredible, and we get people literally every day throwing love our way and complimenting the work that we've been doing, we've reached hundreds of people and made nearly all of them laugh or cry, and both in a good way. We are working on some cool stuff and we are really close to hopefully having a final word, which we'll send your way tomorrow, but for now we leave you with the best photo we've taken so far. 

The cast of Blind Mirth, an incredible improv group, came to see closing night (several of them saw us twice before that) and they painted their noses red in our honor. So we told them to come on stage and grab their favourite prop and strike a pose. Here are the results. 

Love to everyone who made us the happiest clowns north of the River Thames...
 
Just a quick post to start the morning: we had ANOTHER SOLD OUT SHOW last night! Hurrah! We can't wait to close tonight to another packed house, and we are getting out on the Mile soon to make sure that happens.

Stay frisky, friends. More updates soon.

xoxo