Transformations

So Friday and Saturday night were spent travelling to Oxford to do gigs at Jongleurs.

These were fairly last minute gigs as in an ideal world I should have been on my travels in South-east Asia now. However the rushed operation meant that I had to forgo my travel plans.

Oxford or Angkor Wat...where would I rather be? Tough question but as it turned out, Oxford was pretty damn amazing. I was doing sets rather than MC'ing, which always gives me a touch of nerves but both nights I royally kicked comedy ass! I loved being onstage, I loved the laughs I got, and I loved the fact that I am lucky enough to have stumbled on this as a career.

Mindful of Reg's coments about doing 'fat' jokes when I aint that big anymore, Friday saw me wearing baggy clothes in a stupid attempt to look bigger (how mad is that? Major surgery to lose weight then hiding the fact!) I had a cracking time inspite of my wardrobe schizophrenia, and the journey home was enlived considerably by bumping into Alfie Joey at Reading station.

Yesterday tho I thought 'bugger it' and wore an outfit that showed off the weight loss. The trousers were from four years ago, the last time I lost weight, and were like new. I'm glad I kept em now! The top was a new one from Wallis that was a tad tight when I got it a few weeks ago but is now lose and lovely. It was really odd, I found myself walking taller, holding myself differently.

The MC's last night were the divine Chambers & Nettleton, two of the most wonderful women I've ever met, and I walked into the dressing room to a barrage of compliments... it was fabulous! We had a rushed catch-up, its been well over a year since we were on the same bill, then it was showtime. The opening act both nights was someone new to me, Mr Cee. He was wonderful to watch and has this really easy persona both onstage and off.

Then it was my turn. I walked on, a little apprehensive, my body image is definitely distorted at the moment, so there was a brief flicker of fear as to whether the outfit was suitable, if it would affect the gig. I needn't have worried. The confidence losing weight has given me is making my comedy soar to new heights! I had a blinder.

Mr Cee and I got the train back to London together and the journey passed in the blink of an eye. One of the many things I love about this job is the incredible cross-section of people who do it. We all have our stories to tell, and it's fantastic to hear how each of us got to this point.

All in all a fantastic weekend of gigs, great people, and acquiring some self-knowledge. Even better, it's my birthday this week and while I had to pull my big travel plans, I am off to Paris tomorrow for a few days. It's been over 20 years since I was last there. That time I was taken to interview Dave Gilmour, so didn't see a whole lot of the city. This time I have my vague itinerary, the Louvre, the Pompidou Centre and David Lynch's paintings at the Cartier Foundation. Not to mention lots of time spent wandering the streets discovering the city, drinking coffee at pavement cafes. The one thing I am glad about is that I'm still not small enough to fit into the designer fashions that Paris is known for, at least I won't be maxing out my credit cards!