Most people suggest ending fringe with a break. I would also suggest this. Instead, I’m doing three shows in three states in four days. So it goes. Gotta pay the bills somehow.

The end of fringe was a whirlwind, and it legitimately feels weird to re-enter the real world. I have time to respond to emails, proactively generate business, exercise, and read a book. Basically, my life is no longer consumed by checking ticket sales and walking 20,000 steps a day.

Next week, I’ll release my now-annual “How much does the Edinburgh Fringe Cost” post. Here’s a preview: A lot.

Today, we’ll get into everything else. Here are my final reflections, aided finally by hindsight:

It’s a marathon

Forgive the running analogy, but it’s true. You must pace yourself. Most artists take the first week relatively easy, going to bed early(ish), knowing what’s ahead of them.

Doing 24 consecutive shows with one or two off days is hard. Stressing about filling your venue is hard. It’s a true endurance event, and you should be prepared for that if you’re considering going.

There are also wonderful parts of fringe. You can see some of the best shows in the world for $15. You get to hang out with friends every day. You get to perform! You get to focus on exclusively one thing for an entire month. And look—endurance is good! You just have to know what’s coming.

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Someone is doing it better than you are

I saw 50 shows at fringe. Sometimes, when I saw a show that sold better than mine that I didn’t like, I’d be frustrated. How is this show selling so well if it’s not even good?

Here’s the thing: Even if a bad show is selling well, there’s something to learn from it. Because if one show sold 150 tickets, and you sold 50, then they’re doing something better than you. It might not be the show. They might have better PR or marketing or know more people. But they’re doing something.

And rather than getting frustrated, you should get inspired—because if you truly do have a better show, then you can learn from what you see and try to replicate their sales techniques.

Find your support crew

The people who had the hardest time, from what I can see, had very little support on the ground. The people who had the best time had production assistants, friends, partners, spouses, and parents on their team.

I technically could have done this without my girlfriend, Olivia, but it would’ve been so much harder (and a major shoutout to her parents who were there the entire time and were wildly helpful).

You need someone to ground you. Most of the time, your problems aren’t as bad as you think they are, and the highs won’t move the needle as much as you expect. But you’ll want someone to celebrate and commiserate with, and if that means buying their plane ticket, do it.

Doing a bunch of shows won’t destroy you. Loneliness will.

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Be specific about what you want

You will probably lose money at fringe. That’s totally fine, as long as you know what you’re investing in. A professional website is also extremely expensive. But there’s a clear output.

I think one of my mistakes was going into this year thinking that the show would just take off. I definitely succeeded, but it didn’t soar into the stratosphere.

I wanted to get reviews, and I did, and I’m already using them.

Some people want to get noticed by a producer. Some people want to come with a half-baked show and leave with a better one.

Thinking about fringe as an investment is important because you almost certainly will lose money, so you have to be extremely clear about what you want out of it. Losing money is completely justifiable if it comes with a strong return.

My goals were to get reviewed, rep the show, and sell 1500 tickets. I accomplished the first two. But at least I knew what I was aiming for.

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It’s a cash flow issue

I’ll write more about the economics next week, but it’s worth noting that while you will make some money back (maybe not all of it, but I assume you’ll sell some tickets), most venues don’t pay you until the end of October.

This is potentially a problem even if you sell out. If fringe cost you $10,000, and you sold $20,000 in tickets, you’re still paying all of your costs by August, and not getting paid until October. Know going in that you’ll have to float yourself for a few months.

Take time to reflect

I don’t know if I’m doing fringe next year. A full run, a half run, or skipping altogether all seem possible. The point is not to decide anything immediately.

When you train for a marathon, your body takes a few days to absorb the training. Similarly, you need to let your mind process what you just did. Very few good decisions were made by rushing.

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What’s next?

Next week, I’ll post details about the finances of the fringe.

Otherwise, I’m back to normal gigging. Holiday party season is somehow around the corner, and the fall is usually filled with a ton of fun events.

Life is good. Onward.

Thanks for reading! I make my living doing public shows, and you can get tickets to upcoming performances below. If you’d like to learn more about booking a private show, you can inquire here.

• September 15th, New York City, 8:00 PM

• September 25th, Larchmont, 8:30 PM

• October 8th, Denver, 7:00 PM

• October 13th, New York City, 8:00 PM

• November 10th, New York City, 8:00 PM

I thought this last year, and I stand by it again—this festival is the closest I’ll ever be to having a 9-5 job. It is literally the exact same thing every day, even on weekends.

That said, last week’s flood did interrupt my schedule, giving me three consecutive off-days, something frankly unheard of here at Fringe. So, I actually did feel rested.

With the festival nearly over, here are some of my final thoughts:

Everything we love will disappear

That was morbid. I will explain. Most performers, myself included, are incessantly checking their audience reviews on their fringe page. Those reviews matter, and they help get people in the door.

However, after the festival, those pages will be gone. Like, they‘ll literally be deleted. Everything we were so worried about will be nearly impossible to find (the British Comedy Guide does archive them, but nobody is really looking there).

It’s a good reminder that the things we worry about so much only matter within a tiny bubble. The second we leave, everything we were so worried about just…goes away.

It’s not linear

In theory, you’d have a small audience on day one, and it would grow toward a sellout in the final weeks.

That trajectory is actually extremely difficult, and pulled off by a rare few with a huge following.

My biggest lesson I learned last year and relearned this year is that you can have a 60 person show followed by a 20 person show. Yes, it builds, and yes, your reputation grows throughout the month. However, It’s not a straight line. Or a curved line. Or even a line at all.

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The show isn’t hard. Everything else is

I could do a show every day for a year and probably not get tired. It takes an hour and I have fun.

The hard part is flyering, setting up the show, seeing other shows while thinking about your own ticket sales, and doing everything on less sleep than you need.

You each have to show up for each other

As you likely know, my girlfriend Olivia is doing a show here as well. (It’s called Oops at Gilded Balloon Teviot at 2:30).

Anyway, the lesson this month is to show up for the other person even when your day doesn’t match theirs. As in—Olivia has a great show and I have a bad show. I still show up for her enthusiastically to celebrate her success. And she, of course, has done the opposite for me.

Our audience sizes and the quality of our shows don’t perfectly match each other. Our friend Ilana Dunn (host of Seeing Other People) has said many time that a pillar of a good relationship is being able to show up for your partner on their best day even when you’ve had your worst, and being able to do the reverse.

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It’s all relative

A 20 person show sucks when you expect 60 people, and it’s great when you expect 2. A specific audience size says nothing about how your show will go. My sellouts this festival were not my best shows. I had a few 18-20 person shows, however, that killed.

Remember they gave you their time

A few days ago, I felt sick, and had a rare feeling that I didn’t want to do the show. I remembered, though, that there were 40 people sitting in chairs who paid money to see me. And regardless of what I felt, the professional thing to do is to step on stage and give them everything I have.

So, that’s what I did, and the show ended up being one of the best of the run. Regardless of how you feel, you have an obligation to your audience to power through. They’ve given you their time and money, and you need to give them your energy.

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It’s actually worth it

As you probably know, I dislike flyering. However, one benefit of flyering is testing out new material, which is exactly what I’ve done.

I’m walking away from fringe with a bunch of banger closeup material that I wouldn’t otherwise have, and that makes it quite rewarding.

What’s next?

Next week, I’ll have a post aided by hindsight. Most lessons are not learned in the moment.

Then, like I did last year, I’ll break down the financials and logistics of the fringe.

I’m gonna run and do a few more shows. Thanks for following along.

Thanks for reading! I make my living doing public shows, and you can get tickets to upcoming performances below. If you’d like to learn more about booking a private show, you can inquire here.

• August 6th-30th: Edinburgh: Strangers at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 5:50 PM nightly

• September 15th, New York City, 8:00 PM

• September 25th, Larchmont, 8:30 PM

• October 13th, New York City, 8:00 PM

• November 10th, New York City, 8:00 PM

On balance, it’s been a solid run. I’m averaging around 35-40 people per night, and often a lot higher.

I’ve been thinking a lot about whose opinions we value, how to adjust from difficult situations, and the purpose of being here in the first place.

I’m intent on sticking to my Friday posting schedule, but the real news is that I legitimately don’t know when my next show will be. I should be in the next day or two, but the venue flooding is, by far, what’s on my mind.

Here are my updates from week two:

When it rains, it pours

On Wednesday, 45 minutes before my show, it started pouring rain. Nate Wise, who does the show before me, ran out of our venue mid-performance with his entire audience. A pipe burst on the floor in the middle of the audience, and the venue flooded.

We cancelled my show, of course, and at the time of writing, I don’t know when the venue will open again.

I did not have this on my fringe bingo card.

Because the flood happened right before my show, everyone who bought tickets still showed up expecting a performance.

For the first time in my life, I stood outside of my venue and explained to disappointed people that they didn’t have a show to see.

They were all understanding, and I think personally being there to apologize was the right way to handle it.

I’m not that bummed that I missed a show. I get to perform all the time. However, I’m very bummed that my audience, who went out of their way to buy tickets and spend an hour with me, didn’t get what they paid for.

Obviously, there’s nothing that could’ve been done. Refunds will be issued. And in the grand scheme of things, everything is ok. But it’s certainly disappointing to have so many unknowns about when the performances will continue. So it goes.

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Figure out whose opinions you care about

A few days ago, I had a celebrity in my audience, who happened to come with his friends.

It was a good show. But I also got very concerned about what he thought, purely because he’s famous.

I realized throughout the day, though, how pointless it was to worry about what he thought of me. It’s not that I don’t value his opinion (I actually do), but we don’t know each other, and I couldn’t contact him even if I wanted to.

So, whether he liked the show doesn’t really matter.

Of course, your audience should like your show. But it’s not worth tracking down the opinions of random people just because they’re famous.

There are a very small circle of people whose opinions I really care about. That keeps me grounded on the good days and the bad.

The show they saw is the show they saw

I had a reviewer (and some other important people) in on one of my two bad shows. When that happens, you have an urge to call everyone at the show and tell them that that’s not normal! I can do a better job! But the show they saw is the show they saw.

The goal at fringe is to be as consistent as possible, and make it so that your bad shows are still very good. But you can’t blame someone for forming an opinion after watching you for an hour.

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See the small show

The best shows I’ve seen this year have been in small venues. Like, 60 seats.

Brendan Scannell (The Abyss) was one of them. Kevin McNulty (Half Orphan) was another.

I’m not saying that all small shows are good and all large shows are bad.

I am saying that some of my favorite shows so far are from slightly lesser-known artists who are immensely talented and are treating every performance like it’s the Super Bowl.

For example, The Duo is easily one of the best magic shows at the fringe. But they don’t have PR, so you might not have heard of them. This is your chance! See the small shows! It’s where a lot of the talented, hungry artists are.

The festival normalizes performing

Sometimes, in the states, putting an hour on stage feels like a big deal. Here, it feels like Tuesday. And Wednesday. And all the other days.

Doing your full hour just becomes a regular part of the day, and that’s the point. It shouldn’t feel like a burden. It should feel like something that, however hard, is also readily attainable.

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Find your why

The most common question other performers are asking me is why I’m doing the festival. I don’t have great answers, but here’s my attempt:

1. Because it’s there. Which is almost a good enough answer for me, full stop.

2. I’m getting reviews and pull quotes that I can use on future promotional materials, even outside of other festivals.

3. I get to rep my show 24 consecutive times (slightly less because of flooding, but you get the point), which is always a good thing.

4. I get to hang out with a bunch of artists every day, and it feels like summer camp.

5. I like the challenge. Doing this festival gives me purpose, and I’m already looking forward to doing even better next year.

Knowing your why helps find clarity. You don’t need it on the good days, but you will need it after the bad shows when you wonder what you’re doing with your life.

This festival is a lesson in unpredictability. Sometimes a trick goes wrong. Other times, your venue floods.

Onward.

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Thanks for reading! I make my living doing public shows, and you can get tickets to upcoming performances below. If you’d like to learn more about booking a private show, you can inquire here.

• August 6th-30th: Edinburgh: Strangers at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 5:50 PM nightly

• September 15th, New York City, 8:00 PM

• September 25th, Larchmont, 8:30 PM

• October 13th, New York City, 8:00 PM

• November 10th, New York City, 8:00 PM

The premise, in an experiment organized by the Washington Post, was to see if passers-by would recognize his virtuosity, or if they’d be in too much of a hurry to distinguish between Bell, one of the best violin players on the planet, and any other street performer.

It should come as no surprise, especially to the Americans reading this, that almost no one stopped to watch. Bell said that he “started to appreciate any acknowledgement, even a slight glance up.” Keep in mind—Bell sells out theaters around the world. He’s used to people paying attention.

Anyway, as I’ve been flyering throughout the festival (if you’re just joining, flyering is when you quite literally hand out flyers to as many people as possible to get them to come to your show), I’ve gotten rejected a ton. My responses range from:

• “No thanks”

• “We don’t like magic, sorry”

• “We hate that stuff”

• And sometimes they don’t respond.

To be clear, flyering does work, and plenty of people say yes. But the Joshua Bell story proves a very important point:

People need to be in a specific context to appreciate what you’re giving them. And the exact same person that buys a ticket to see Joshua Bell might not stop for him on the Metro.

I’ve written multiple (2025, last week) times not to flyer people in motion. When people are actively walking, they probably don’t want to be stopped.

Still though, I’ve wanted to scream at people who said no to my flyer: “You have no idea what you’re missing!!! Other people like this show!” But of course, how could I possibly expect them to know that? Why, in the split second they have to make a decision about whether to talk to me, would they think that the show is any more legit than anything else they’ve been flyered for?

The Joshua Bell story is, in a sense, quite comforting. If they won’t stop for him, they certainly won’t stop for me…unless we give them magic in a different context.

A few weeks ago, some friends and I were shooting content on the Subway in New York. It’s called Magic on the M train, and I hope it’ll grace your social media feed soon.

The first few times I approached people on the subway, I was straight-up rejected. People were not interested in seeing a magic trick, and they definitely weren’t interested in being filmed.

Again, I thought, why don’t they just want to see a magic trick? It’ll be fun!

So, we tried something different. My friend who I was shooting with would go to the other end of the subway car. I’d approach him, show him a trick, and he’d react. As I was doing this, other people in the card would start to watch, and then they asked me to see a trick.

It was the same trick everyone else rejected. But critically, it became their idea, not mine. I was doing them a favor instead of the other way around.

Get them interested, then perform.

My Pitch

First, I almost always approach people who are seated. There’s plenty of bars and outdoor beer gardens that are perfect for this.

My old pitch was: “You look like you want to see a magic show.” But that wasn’t working well enough. Luckily, I’m not really doing a magic show, I’m doing mind-reading. So I changed my pitch to exactly three words: “Mind-reading show?”

Now, plenty of people still reject me. But plenty of people respond along the lines of “Oh HELL yes!”

Now that I have my people, I’ll quickly follow up with “Want to do a quick mind-reading trick right now, just for fun?”

The “just for fun” line is critical, because it tells them that I’m not asking for a tip. They know I’m about to flyer them, but worst case scenario, they don’t like the trick. They know I won’t ask them for money.

What trick do I do?

For any magicians here, I was doing a version of DFB where I had a list of shows in Edinburgh, and people chose mine.

It was fine. The trick was cute. But it wasn’t a certified banger, and it wouldn’t make people book tickets.

Now, I do a name divination (tell someone the name they’re thinking of, sometimes with some bonus effects), and that converts a ton of people.

I’m not surprised that this is the case. It’s a mind-reading trick that pitches a mind-reading show.

If they like the trick, I say “the show is literally more of that, and it’s right down the street.”

The last thing I do during this pitch is learn as many of their names as I can. If I’m flyering in a specific area, I’ll then walk back to them thirty minutes later and say “John, Stella, Brian, I hope to see you later!” Worst case, it gets a chuckle. Best case, they’re stunned that I remember their names.

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Attitude

I’m amazed by how much your own attitude affects your flyering. Yesterday, for example, was extremely busy, and flyering was like shooting fish in a barrel. For every rejection, there were five yeses. I walked up and down the street, confident as could be, knowing that people would say yes to me. And they did.

Meanwhile, on days that I was in a bad mood and felt awkward about approaching groups, I got more no’s.

People can smell fear. It’s the little intonations in your voice, your smile, and your demeanor that immediately cause people to reject you.

It’s worth doing anything you can to put yourself in a good mood when you flyer, because people will say yes more often.

Money

It’s a bit sad, of course, to not only flyer someone, but also ask them to spend their own money on a ticket.

Once I changed the trick I flyered with (to a better mind-reading trick), I had a fairly easy time getting people to buy tickets, because the trick was good enough to justify paying for more.

That being said—if you flyer them to the point that they want to see the show, paying for a £10 ticket isn’t a burden. It’s what people expect, and most fringe tickets aren’t expensive. You’re simply trying to communicate that your show is worth the value.

Comps

My venue lets me print out ten comps per day and hand them to people as physical tickets. On slow days, I’ll print a few to get people in the door.

When I flyer a good group that seems like they’ll come, rather than giving everyone comps, I’ll give half the group a free ticket. This makes the show a 2-for-1 deal, and lets me spread out my comps across multiple groups.

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How do you flyer successfully?

The other day, I approached a woman looking for a show to see, and pitched her mine. She told me that magic was actually “one of her least favorite genres.”

How do you flyer successfully? With a thick skin.

Your show is not for everyone. It cannot be for everyone. And plenty of good, well-meaning strangers might not want to see it.

The good news? There’s more than enough people who do want to see you. Your job is find and nurture that audience.

Onward.

Thanks for reading! I make my living doing public shows, and you can get tickets to upcoming performances below. If you’d like to learn more about booking a private show, you can inquire here.

• August 6th-30th: Edinburgh: Strangers at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 5:50 PM nightly

• September 15th, New York City, 8:00 PM

• September 25th, Larchmont, 8:30 PM

• October 13th, New York City, 8:00 PM

• November 10th, New York City, 8:00 PM

I think we’re all trying to get at the truth of what the festival is “actually like.” Let’s break through the noise on Instagram by posting a more vulnerable story…on Instagram.

Regardless, I notice myself doing the same thing.

I’ve had an extremely challenging week. A lot went well, and a ton went wrong.

I average 30 people per show in a venue that seats 60. Some of my shows have been less than 20 people, and I’ve never sold out.

It’s a decent start. While I’d like to be a bit higher, I’m only 25% through the festival.

Here are my thoughts:

Sellouts are relative

Colin Cloud’s worst night of sales (in Pleasance Grand) would put lines of people around my block. He’s in a 750 seater, I’m in a bar with 60 chairs.

If you’re jealous of someone selling out their run, remember that circumstances could be different. As in—they may have less seats than you! It doesn’t take away from someone selling out, of course. There are tons of shows selling better than me in larger theaters (Colin Cloud, for one). But it’s a reminder that nearly every venue here is a different size, and worrying about other people’s numbers is not important. That being said…

There are enough people to see your show

Sometimes, when shows don’t sell well, they blame the rain, or the fact that it’s Tuesday, or cold outside.

Here’s the thing: There are enough people to see your show. If you aren’t selling, don’t worry about ”fringe audience numbers being down this year.” There are plenty of shows that consistently sell out. Let that be an inspiration to work harder and find an audience that I promise exists. People see shows at every time of day for a month straight.

Not every trick is built for fringe

As regular readers of this newsletter will know, I make memorizing names a staple of my shows back in the U.S. (learn how to do it here). I was really excited to do it at fringe. Unfortunately, the doors just don’t open early enough. While it usually takes me 25-30 minutes to memorize names, in Edinburgh, I had about five minutes to learn the entire audience.

So, I made the unfortunate decision, after four shows, to cut name memory.

Not every routine is built for fringe! This is a completely unique performing environment, and there’s no reason to squeeze something that doesn’t work into the show.

I’m bummed because I think it’s a really cool part of the show. But I’m excited because I’m going to be much more relaxed during my pre-show, which I do think will translate to a better experience for the audience.

Tech was a disaster

Let’s talk about the negatives, because until two days ago, the week was not going well.

My tech time went horribly. I don’t say this to complain, as we’ve resolved the issue now. I say this because even the best laid plans fail.

I was told my venue had a projector. And the projector was not at the venue when I needed to tech the show.

As such, I had multiple technical failures on the first show, because I didn’t get to practice with a critical component of the show.

I wish it went another way, but, to be honest, I merely added my name to the long list of performers who had tech go wrong on opening night.

While I would prefer my venue to have far more technical capabilities than it does, I’m reminded of the importance of sheer performance. As in—your magic, stage presence, and stories need to be strong enough to overcome a lack of tech. If it can do that, when you ultimately get good tech, your show will shine even more.

How much does crowd size matter?

Frankly, I think it matters a lot. Specifically: The absolute number of people matters far less than the room being full.

My two best shows were also the best sold. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

A full room signals to the audience that other people took a chance and that you’re not alone. It says that the performer must be competent, because clearly everyone else thinks so too. It means that when you walk on stage, the audience is more trusting, and you can get away with more.

That being said, in the interest of full disclosure, I comped a lot of people into the show in the first week specifically to boost numbers. So it goes.

It’s only up from here

The first trick of the first show went wrong. Like, 100%, completely wrong. In fact, the trick had literally never failed in my life until that point.

The lesson? In a run of 24 shows, obviously something will screw up. And while it was a bummer for it to be the first trick, I also thought—great. I got the bad thing out of the way. Rather than it feeling inevitable, like a mistake was looming, it almost can’t get any worse.

Have an accurate pitch

I’m going to have more information on this in my bonus flyering post (coming this weekend), but it’s important to pitch your show as accurately as you can.

For the first few days, I was advertising my show with a card trick, and it just wasn’t selling it as well as when I started to do more mind-reading.

It’s a mind-reading show. So I started doing more mind-reading. And more people started coming.

You’re trying to do the same show every night

Fringe is not linear. You cannot have your worst show on day one, your best show on day 24, and have it go up from there. It’s just too many shows.

But as my wise girlfriend Olivia said, you’re trying to do the same show every night, regardless of the audience. That is the central challenge of this festival. Be consistent despite every other variable that you can’t control.

Get knocked down, get back up

You must be a goldfish at this festival. Whether you have a good or bad show, you get to reset every single day.

It’s been, in many respects, a rough first week that ended on a high. I’ve learned, again, to have grace under pressure, to be comfortable in circumstances that weren’t what I planned, and to succeed in those conditions.

I’ll see you next week, seven shows wiser. Always onward. 99

Shows to see

I know a lot of people in Edinburgh are reading this, so here are my top four shows of the week:

• Jamie Wolf Psycho

• Lou Wall: Where are all the Tall Grandmas?

• Dan Tiernan: Quartz and All

• Baby Wants Candy

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  Thanks for reading! I make my living doing public shows, and you can get tickets to upcoming performances below. If you’d like to learn more about booking a private show, you can inquire here.

  • August 6th-30th: Edinburgh: Strangers at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 5:50 PM nightly

  • September 15th, New York City, 8:00 PM

  • September 25th, Larchmont, 8:30 PM

  • October 13th, New York City, 8:00 PM

  • November 10th, New York City, 8:00 PM

I opened the show last night, but given my strict Friday deadline, didn’t have time to write about it by 9 AM. So, expect a full update on seven shows in next week’s post.

But don’t worry, there’s still plenty of drama. My tech time was insane, my poster was defaced, and I think we should all be comparing ourselves to other people. Let’s get into it:

Get there as early as you can

I’m not saying that performing at Fringe and running an Ironman are the same, but they’re not as dissimilar as you might think.

The similarity? Arriving early is extremely important.

One of the worst things you can do when trying to accomplish a large task is rush. So often, the antidote to anxiety and a large to-do list, is to slow down.

I arrived Monday morning. I opened Thursday night. I had a little over 72 hours to get settled, overcome jet lag, and move some tickets.

I know people who arrived and teched on the same day. That’s doable, but extremely difficult, and I respect that they pulled themselves together enough to make it work.

When in doubt—give yourself time to relax and settle in.

Define the problem

Without going into too much detail (I’ll have plenty more for you next week), my tech time did not go well. As in—the venue was not prepared, due to some unforeseen circumstances that were beyond people’s control.

It meant the day leading up to my opening was quite stressful. I got through it by defining the problem. Here was my thought process, which I think is important to document:

1. Oh no, the show is going to go terrible.

2. That’s probably an overreaction. Is the show itself actually a problem?

3. No, the show is not a problem. I’ve done it all year and it’s quite polished.

4. Is the tech a problem? Not really, it’s more of a logistical thing—I just need time to set it up, and Fringe gives you a limited time.

5. Ok, so the only problem is setting a lot of props in a short period of time, which actually sounds, albeit a bit stressful, like a very solvable issue.

Perhaps this seems basic, but it’s amazing how much your brain does not do basic processing in a stressful time.

When in doubt, go step by step to figure out what the actual problem is. I find it’s often nowhere as severe as you think, and quite fixable.

Go down swinging

After the tech session, which again, went bad, I started to spiral about the entire month.

That was not the correct approach.

How your tech goes does not define your entire run, and ceding control to the venue is a pretty defenseless way to let go of the work I’ve put in for a year.

I can control:

• The effort I put into selling tickets.

• The effort I put into the show.

• The respect I give to the venue and the staff.

• The thanks and care I give to my audience.

Let’s focus on that.

Laugh at what goes wrong

As you can see here, my poster, which cost a lot of money, has already been defaced. And I mean that very literally.

Annoying? Sure. Funny? Absolutely. No need to get upset about something that very few people will see, is not unique (many people’s posters get ruined throughout the month), and does not affect the quality of the show.

I’ll wash the paper off, and move on.

Once again, magic is the best advertising

I’m at the very beginning of my flyering journey, but realizing once again the power of a free preview. You are playing a very simple numbers game—expose your show to as many people as possible.

So many people only have a flyer to give out. If you’re a magician, you can show people a magic trick, which not only advertises your show, but gives them a positive experience in the moment.

I’m doing my best to make seeing my show the audience’s idea. Ideally, the process goes:

1. I show the person a magic trick.

2. The person enjoys said magic trick.

3. They ask if I have a show.

Now it’s their idea, and they’re much more likely to come.

Don’t flyer people in motion

Last year’s rule is once again making a resurgence. Do NOT flyer people who are actively moving, because by definition, those people don’t want to be stopped.

But, those people might want to see your show. In fact, I’d argue that literally everyone at an arts festival wants to see a great show. So, how do we find those people?

We meet them where they are!

Look for people who are seated, or perhaps looking at a board of shows to see, and then show them a trick.

Everyone wants to see a show. Everyone wants to discover the next best thing. Approach people on their terms, and you have a much higher chance of success.

Compare yourself to as many people as possible

Being at this festival with my girlfriend has been a fascinating experience.

I think it would be natural to compare ourselves to each other all the time—we have unfiltered access to how our shows are actually going and how many tickets we’re selling.

And I’m pleasantly surprised about how objectively we’re able to talk about each other’s work.

In Hollywood, we each took turns having single digit audiences while the other person sold out on the same day.

Because our shows are so different (hers is one-woman storytelling, mine is magic), we can recognize that not only are we not fighting for the same audience, we can share audiences.

We obviously both value our relationship more than figuring out who’s succeeding more in an industry that changes by the hour. And it’s good to extrapolate that to other artists: Just imagine you’re dating them. As in—love and respect them first, and see them as an artist selling tickets second.

So I wasn’t joking—compare yourself to people! Someone else sold out and you didn’t? Awesome, then there’s something you can learn from them. Someone else has a banger poster? Great! Figure what you liked and apply that lesson next year. Someone in your category got more press than you? Find out who their PR agent was and, if it’s ethical, get them to rep you next time!

You can and should root for other people’s success. A rising tide lifts all boats. If someone has a good experience at a show, they are more likely to see your show! Even if it’s in the same genre. If you get your mind blown at a magic show, you’ll probably seek out where you can find more magic.

In that spirit, here are some shows I think you should see:

• Lizzy Sunshine (by Liz Coin)

• The Duo (by Dan Winter, Jacob Greenwald, and Charlie Phillips)

• Folk Marry Kill (by Couplet)

• Oops (by Olivia Atwood)

• Sorry (by Jenny Gorelick)

Onward

Next week, I’ll have seven performances to report on. And just as a hint, as I write this at midnight after my first show, I’ve got a lot for you. When we check in again, you can expect:

1. Detailed ticket reports.

2. Detailed show recaps.

3. Flyering tactics.

And whatever else I come up with in this absolutely nutty festival.

Thanks for reading! I make my living doing public shows, and you can get tickets to upcoming performances below. If you’d like to learn more about booking a private show, you can inquire here.

• August 6th-30th: Edinburgh: Strangers at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 5:50 PM nightly

• September 15th, New York City, 8:00 PM

• September 25th, Larchmont, 8:30 PM

• October 13th, New York City, 8:00 PM

• November 10th, New York City, 8:00 PM

Thanks for reading! I make my living doing public shows, and you can get tickets to upcoming performances below. If you’d like to learn more about booking a private show, you can inquire here.

• August 6th-30th: Edinburgh: Strangers at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 5:50 PM nightly

• September 15th, New York City, 8:00 PM

• September 25th, Larchmont, 8:30 PM

• October 13th, New York City, 8:00 PM

• November 10th, New York City, 8:00 PM

From a ticket sales perspective, I’m hoping I can trounce my 2025 self by a large margin.

At this time last year, Tess and I had sold 17 tickets—1.5% of our sellable capacity.

I’m currently sitting at 130 tickets sold, or 6.7% of my sellable capacity. Keep in mind, though, that my sellable capacity in 2025 was 1,150 tickets, and this year, it’s 1,920. So while my percentage isn’t that much higher, my absolute value is, and I’m happy with that.

I’ve been looking forward Edinburgh all year. The shows will be a blast, and I’m also thrilled to document it for you.

I re-read all of last year’s posts, and saw someone struggling immensely. I’m sure I’ll struggle this year too, but hopefully it’s under the weight of so many ticket sales.

This year’s posts are primarily written for:

1. Fellow artists doing the festival who want an honest, inside look at the highs and lows of a production in real time.

2. Artists who are considering doing the festival.

3. And of course, you, my loyal subscribers, who are invested in the journey.

Anyway, here’s what you can expect this month:

1. Weekly updates on Friday at 9 AM Edinburgh Time. I’m going to be extremely honest about the highs and lows of the festival.

2. A post after I return home (September 4th or 11th) documenting the financials.

3. Free posts. I've put a lot of the Substack behind a paywall, but Fringe is expensive enough. If you like the posts, you can support by subscribing, at any tier, below:

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With that, here’s what I’m thinking about from the airport:

Do the Press Show

Last year, Tess and I performed at Just the Tonic’s press show—where selected shows get five minutes to pitch themselves to a room of about 100 people. We got more attention from it last year than I expected, and it was a good lesson that almost all early exposure is good, especially when you’re advertising to the right audience.

A radio interview might not move tickets, but performing specifically for people who want to see shows at your venue is one of the most lead-dense places you can put yourself.

All this to say—I got on Press Show again. And despite having only three minutes to perform, I know how valuable those will be.

Another wonderful lesson is the benefit of being a medium fish in a medium pond.

I’m not at a “Big Four” venue this year, but Just the Tonic, where I’m performing, is a very solid B-tier venue.

If I was at Pleasance or Underbelly, there’s no shot I wouldn’t gotten on the press show, because I would’ve been a nobody. But because JTT is smaller, I hopped on the show easily.

Embrace where you are.

On that note…

Magic is the best advertising

Comedian Ray Lau dropped this video called Zero Tickets Sold, where he and his comic friends tried to sell out a show using exclusively word-of-mouth advertising. In other words, they flyered people. I have two thoughts:

1. This is extremely impressive.

2. It would be so much easier if they were magicians.

Because they’re comedians, everyone in their experiment had to take their word that they were any good! As a magician, I can just show people magic.

I didn’t have the best relationship with flyering last year, but there’s no doubt it worked. I’m going in with a better mentality this time around, knowing that showing people magic regularly converts them to an audience member.

Minimize what you need to do on the ground

I made pretty much every prop before leaving for Edinburgh.

Did it require a byzantine spreadsheet to ensure I had each prop for each show prepared correctly? Yes. Did it save me a ton of time and energy that I can now commit to enjoying Edinburgh and promoting the show? Also yes.

You want to do all the leg work up front so you can focus on all the other inevitable problems you’ll face.

Make yourself available and easy to find

This should go without saying, as most performers already have public Instagram accounts, but if you’re going to Fringe and you’re private, change it immediately!

Then, change your bio to “Strangers Nightly @17:50 at The Subway.” Except don’t do that. Make it your show. Unless you want to promote my show, which would frankly be awesome.

The point is, make it beyond obvious that you’re doing your show. Beat people over the head with it. Make it your personality. For one month, you are in the business of selling as many tickets as possible. Make it easy for your audience to find you.

If you want to go really far, change your profile pic to your show’s poster. Consistent branding, people!

Don’t expect anyone to come to your show

Meaning: A lot of people you meet on the ground will tell you they’re going to come to your show. A lot of those people won’t follow through. Not because they’re bad people. Not because they don’t care. But because Fringe is busy, and plans change quickly, and sometimes they just don’t have time to see you.

The good news? A lot of people will follow through. You will have an audience. Enjoy those people rather than dwelling on the ones who aren’t even in the room.

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Always go to the small party

There are huge parties at Fringe put on by large magazines and companies. There are also small gatherings composed of only artists from your country or only performers in your genre.

I’ve found the small gatherings to be less overwhelming and far more fruitful. Having an automatic connection with everyone in the group is so helpful, whereas the large parties are loud and chaotic.

I put a lot of butts in seats last year at the Americans’ party (really just a gathering at a bar), and I met my future girlfriend. It was a good party.

If it helps, gamify it

Edinburgh is gonna be a ton of fun. It’s also work, and that work requires me putting as many butts in seats as humanly possible.

It’s hard to solve a problem you can’t define, so here’s my definition:

I want to sell 75% of my total capacity or higher.

That requires selling 1,440 tickets. I’m gonna bump that goal to 1,500 for the sake of round numbers.

I’ve sold 130 so far. I have a mere 1,370 to go.

If you’re performing, I will see you on the ground. If you’re visiting, I hope to see you in the audience. It’s gonna be a whirlwind, and you can follow along all month below:

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Thanks for reading! I make my living doing public shows, and you can get tickets to upcoming performances below. If you’d like to learn more about booking a private show, you can inquire here.

• August 6th-30th: Edinburgh: Strangers at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 5:50 PM nightly

• September 15th, New York City, 8:00 PM

• September 25th, Larchmont, 8:30 PM

• October 13th, New York City, 8:00 PM

• November 10th, New York City, 8:00 PM

Me: “Hi, I’m Max, I’m the magician for tonight! Should we try some magic and mind-reading together?”

Party Guest: “Oh, I didn’t know there was a magician? Uh, sure, I guess.”

We’ve all been there, and it universally sucks. They don’t know who you are. And of course they’re skeptical! They don’t have context. They don’t know if they should tip you. They don’t know that this is your full-time job, or that you were hired to be there!

Of course, you can win them over. But you’re fighting an uphill battle, and you don’t have to.

Solving the problem—Level One

Until a few weeks ago, here’s how I solved this problem:

I would tell the client on the initial call to let as many people as possible know that I’m coming. I would explain how important anticipation is (which I’ll get into more below). And sometimes, I’d send my bio and a link to a few videos.

It’s a good solution, provided the client actually tells people. But I was still leaving everything in the clients’ hands. They still needed to tell everybody.

Then, I stumbled on a solution where I not only fully control the narrative, but the client gets a fun and exciting tidbit to pass along to the team. Best of all, it took me all of five minutes. Here’s how I changed this:

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There is no way around this—if you’re performing in Edinburgh, you have to pay to play.

Except sometimes, you don’t have to pay for advertising. Or PR. Or posters. Because often, I think about the Cheese Show, which avoided all of these costs.

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Today I’m going to talk about the specific language I use to reveal information to elevate it from mere words to something entertaining and surprising.

For context, I’d recommend reading this post about the language I use for the main reveal. Everything below, however, is specifically centered around pump reveals. In short, the main reveal is the primary thing you’re asking your participant to think about—a name, a word, a city, an object. A pump is anything surrounding that, like their birthday, or where they live, or literally any other piece of bonus information.

Below are some of my favorite licks—small moments that add texture to the performance. These moments are essential. They’re what breathe life into what might otherwise be a stale presentation. They keep the audience consistently engaged, rather than dragging them down the slow road to a reveal they already see coming. Here they are:

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Most magicians’ contracts are relatively straightforward, so I thought I’d offer mine for anyone who a) has nowhere to start or b) is just curious.

I’ll break it down clause by clause in screenshots, and link it so you can see the full thing.

Let’s get into it:

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There’s a great episode of Working It Out with Mike Birbiglia and Taylor Tomlinson where they accept that most of a glamorous career isn’t that glamorous. You just have to do the thing. Meaning—going to the Comedy Cellar and doing a random spot is kind of as valuable as a big stadium show. It’s all just the work. It’s all what they signed up to do. There’s no ulterior goal, there’s nothing to strive for, it’s just the thing.

I think about that with festivals. A small show is still the thing. Traveling is still the thing.

Taking the subway to a gig or waiting for a bus in the cold afterward is all part of the same grand experiment where you decided to become an artist.

Don’t stress about reviews

At festivals like Hollywood and Edinburgh, audiences are allowed to review shows. If you’ve played your PR cards right, you’ll get reviewed from real publications as well.

During Hollywood Fringe, I found myself getting caught up audience reviews of my shows. Then, I’d read reviews from other shows that I didn’t like and then get upset when someone else gave them a good review! How sad! That was a complete waste of my time.

Sure, read your own reviews, post them, and get some ticket sales. But don’t get sucked into what random strangers are saying about other random strangers!

Performing is not a zero sum game. One person’s good review is not another’s bad one. In fact, I’d argue that a rising tide lifts all boats, that someone who enjoyed a show is more likely to keep going to shows.

In short—shut out the noise, put your head down, and keep working.

You can’t avoid the work, but you can have a great team

I’m so happy that I’ve been able to outsource PR to an actual PR agent (Rosaline), and production to an actual producer (Estelle). I’m of course still doing the work on my show, but I’m not spending hours reaching out to reviewers because Rosaline is doing that for me. And I’m not wasting time ordering fliers because I have Estelle on the project.

What do I have time to do, then?

First, I have time to spend not worrying. I know I have things covered, and a few lines of defense behind me if something goes wrong.

Second, I can “focus on the show.” I say it in quotes because it’s every artist’s fantasy to be totally unencumbered by logistics, which is completely unrealistic. But it’s true—I have more time to dedicate to the show, or just the negative space of not stressing, because I have a team of talented people around me.

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Help without asking for anything in return

A fringe festival can often devolve into a tit-for-tat, who-owes-who-a-favor game, and it’s silly.

There are a few things to do to make sure you’re not over reliant on strangers, and that they aren’t over-reliant on you:

First, focus on yourself. Have a show so good that you’re not begging for favors in the first place. The goal—and I know this isn’t always possible—is to have a show so good that people are beating down the door to see it.

Second, just give other people favors. Promote their show. Put your butt in a seat. That totally unencumbered, genuine support will go so much farther than “I’ll write you a good review if you do one for me.” Make it come from the heart, and people will appreciate that.

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I make my living doing public shows, and you can get tickets to upcoming performances here:

• July 27th, New York, Strangers, 8:00 PM

• July 30th, Denver: Strangers, 7:30 PM

• August 6th-30th: Edinburgh: Strangers at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 5:50 PM nightly

• September 2nd, Boston, 7:30 PM

• September 15th, New York, 8:00 PM

I see too many fringe shows where, five minutes in, I know what it is. Meaning—it becomes immediately apparent that the performer has played all their cards in the intro, and the show isn’t going to get better.

I try hard to make my show not this. The audience shouldn’t know what’s coming. I’ve specifically built in a ton of moments that are legitimately surprising, and I have a finale that ties the entire thing together.

I prove to the audience pretty quickly that they are in good hands, and that if they sit back and go along the ride with me, I will bring them home in a way they never could’ve expected.

You have an obligation to continually surprise your audience and surpass their expectations.

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As we move toward Edinburgh, I can finally update what I learned from three shows in Denver and two shows in Hollywood. Here we go:

Put your name in your name

This isn’t specific to Denver, but it’s specific to fringe festivals: You should consider titling your show [Your Name: Show Name]. For example, my show is called Max Davidson: Strangers. This ensures that any time someone views your show in any capacity, they’ll also see your name.

For example, my Hollywood venue, The Broadwater, has a massive poster with all the shows on it—most just have a show name, and mine says Max Davidson.

It also makes your show more searchable on Fringe apps or anywhere that someone might look you up.

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Practice your setup

Fringe festivals have absurdly tight turnarounds from show to show—usually 30 minutes, and in Edinburgh, 20 minutes. That means your load-in and setup time needs to be roughly 10 minutes.

This is worth legitimately practicing, because you don’t want to get to your venue and have no idea how to set up your show.

I made sure I could put most of my props in a small box, and I got my setup time down to about seven minutes.

It feels so good to load in and load out quickly, and it’s amazing what you’re capable of when you give yourself a constraint.

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Use QLab

I’m writing this in a Starbucks after finishing my tech rehearsal, where my tech was genuinely thrilled that I not only used QLab, but had an organized file.

It is quite simply the industry standard. I’m not even very good at QLab, but I’ve been complimented on mine multiple times, which means two things:

1. Most people using QLab aren’t doing a good job, so a job even reasonably well done will stand out.

2. Some people just straight up aren’t using it, which is making it harder for your tech. Anyone with a brain doing theater knows not to piss off your tech, as they are responsible for your show running smoothly!

3. I wrote an article last week with my good friend Jason about the benefits of QLab. You can read it here.

Prop stacking

For a few weeks, I was forgetting to do two pieces of “housekeeping” during the show. First, I needed to hand out an envelope, and the audience had to pick a song from a box.

So, I “prop stacked,” which is where I put the prop I need to remember in front of the prop that is absolutely essential for the trick.

In order to remember to hand out the envelope, I put it on top of the paper where someone writes down the city they’re thinking of. Now, the only way for me to do the city trick is to physically see the envelope I need to hand out, which forces me to do it.

After that trick, I swallow a needle, which, along with the corresponding accouterments, is housed in a brown box. On top of that brown box, I put a sticky note that says “hand out the song.”

If you’re ever forgetting to hand out a prop, a physical reminder nearly always works. Eventually, you’ll condition yourself to do it.

How to sell tickets

Again, I’m sorry to disappoint—there’s no silver bullet. But, I nearly sold out my Denver run, and here’s what happened:

I had home court advantage, so a few blasts to my email list were pretty much all it took to sell out most of the run.

However, fringe festivals often have built in audiences, and I had a ton of festival pass holders come to my second show, which wasn’t selling very well. Those plus artist walkups ended up filling the room.

In the grand scheme, in cities like Denver and New York where I perform a ton, I’m feeling the strain of doing the same show a bit too much. Obviously, getting reps is the only way to make it better, but I’m noticing that some audiences just want something new.

After Edinburgh, it’ll be time to write a new show, because I’ve otherwise exhausted my audience.

I’ll obviously update you here, but I have a strong hunch that the second I announce a new show, tickets are going to sell quickly. I’ve amassed a large audience that enjoys my work but, entirely naturally, wants to see new material.

Still though—this weekend was an excellent reminder of the power of an email list. It takes years for it to grow, and I still can’t always move tickets with it. But it is by far the most powerful ticket selling tool you have at your disposal. It’s immune to algorithms and completely owned by you. Prioritize this at every opportunity.

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How NOT to sell tickets

On Monday night, I opened my Hollywood Fringe run…at 11 pm.

An 11 pm Monday show is, how do you say this? Hard to sell.

I sold nine tickets and did my first ever single-digit audience show. And guess what? It went totally fine.

We were very lucky in Edinburgh last year not to dip below the single-digit threshold, and I’m not surprised that it happened in this circumstance.

If you face a single-digit show, I would just say: Love your audience and, more than ever, calibrate.

Magic still totally works for nine people, but it won’t if you pretend it’s a packed house at 7 pm on a Friday.

So I walked on stage, did the first trick exactly how I normally would, then paused to acknowledge how silly it was that we were doing an 11 pm show on a Monday.

I’ve been memorizing names every night, and doing nine names is little more than a party trick. But again, I calibrated. I had people remain in their seats (normally they stand), and just went around the room and named people like we were at a dinner party. Great, now we all know each other.

And guess what happens in an audience of nine? Everyone gets to participate, often multiple times!

Obviously, I’d prefer a full house. But magic still works for nine people, and at 11 pm on a Monday, I’m thrilled that I had anyone.

Every rep counts

I thought I was going to change a large part of the show for the Edinburgh run. After just two performances in Denver, I realized I had to change it back. Likewise, I’ve changed the beginning of my show, and I’ve been using the past several performances to really hone the new setup.

So far, I’ve changed something fairly significant in five consecutive shows. Doing these festivals ensured that I could work it out in fairly low stakes situations, not in Edinburgh, where I really don’t want to be trying many new things.

Every rep counts.

Don’t do it alone

I can’t emphasize this enough—if you can get a team, it’s worth it on every level.

Last year in Edinburgh, Tess and I performed together, and I could not have done the festival without her.

This year, I’m doing a solo show, but my girlfriend Olivia is performing a show as well (get tickets), and it’s so helpful to just have someone on your side.

My team also extends to my PR agent, Rosaline, and my producer, Estelle. I just can’t emphasize this enough—build out your support system. You won’t regret it.

What’s next?

I have four more shows in LA, some New York and Denver shows, and then Edinburgh in August.

Ultimately, I’m trying to nail my Edinburgh run, and each festival is like a tributary that leads to Scotland. You’re growing your network, which will translate to sales in Edinburgh, and more than anything, you’re getting reps.

I’ll update you after more shows in LA.

Until next time,
Max

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Why did we both switch to using QLab?

Jason: We’re here to talk about QLab, which is a software that a lot of theaters use for sound and lighting and other media cues in their shows. But as solo performers, you and I have started using this in the last year and a half, and it’s really changed the game for us.

Max: It’s made our shows more professional. It just opens up another toolkit of things that we can do. It allows you to control timing in a really cool way. This will sound like an advertisement, but it’s not, and I think that’s how you know how good it is.

I was watching my girlfriend rehearse her show the other day (get tickets folks), and she was switching between some slides she made on Canva, going back to iTunes to play music, and it’s like, that’s why QLab exists, because it takes all those different elements and puts them together into one software.

So I think if you’re reading this interview, you subscribe to one of our Substacks, and that means that you have a certain interest in doing your own show. And even if you are a comedian, even if you are a storyteller, not a magician, you can use this software to just streamline your entire show. For example, you can do a PowerPoint show on QLab, it opens up a million more possibilities.

So I’m excited to talk about what we’ve gotten out of it, why you should use it, some tips and tricks we’ve both learned, et cetera.

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Before downloading, I recommend reading the description below to best understand the features and how to use it.

How to edit the spreadsheet: When you first click it, the spreadsheet will be in view only mode. To edit, click “File, make a copy,” and it will be yours.

Let’s get into it:

Fringe season is about to begin—I’m kicking things off at Denver Fringe in one week, heading to Hollywood Fringe for the rest of June, and going full-throttle at Edinburgh for August.

It’s a lot going on (31 shows), a lot of expenses, and without thinking, it’s easy to lose sight of your finances.

Nothing in this spreadsheet is revolutionary (I studied political communication in college, not business) but it’s specifically built for doing the same show across multiple cities, where you might want to track each run of shows individually while also giving yourself a full picture of the whole summer (or year, or season).

It could also be expanded, of course, to record multiple years.

Finally, and this should go without saying—you obviously don’t need to use this for fringe festivals. If you’re performing any public show where you’re regularly selling tickets, this is useful.

Here’s what I built into it:

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Five tabs:

The minimum is three—an expenses sheet, a set of transaction categories, and then a section for the festival(s). The Denver and Hollywood sections are identical, and Edinburgh is slightly adjusted for Pounds and the unique specifications of the venue agreement.

Full credit goes to my good friend (and CPA), Noah Perl for building out the “Expenses” and “Transaction Types.”

Transaction Types

In this tab, you can input the type of transaction you’re making. As you’ll see below, this section auto-populates in the expenses tab, so you can select from a menu of the transaction types. You can input as many categories as you like.

While not required, I find that this keeps things tidy. Let’s look at how you can use it in the expenses section:

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Expenses:

Obviously, recording the date of the transaction is critical. The transaction type and the description are great for specifying the type of transaction, like writing the specific flight in the travel section.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth columns let you input the currency, with a Google Finance formula that converts Pounds to Dollars (I’m paying for Edinburgh in Pounds, but obviously need to understand my finances in dollars).

If you’re exclusively performing in the U.S., You can also completely bypass the Pounds section and record everything in Dollars, or delete that column altogether.

Finally, you’ll notice those green cells on the right. That is a section I have titled “Reimbursed?” Because I have my fringe festival bank account, I’ll often move money from that account to my main checking account to cover the cost of an expense. The reimbursement column tracks whether I’ve moved that money, essentially reimbursing myself for an expense.

Net and gross on the expenses sheet

If you scroll down on the expenses sheet, you’ll notice sections for the Hollywood and Denver fringes, so that you can keep all of your expenses in one place. Obviously, if you’re doing other festivals, just re-name those sections.

You’ll notice an automatic net and gross for each festival, as well as the cumulative net and gross across your entire season (Fringe Gross, Fringe Net).

Keep in mind that I haven’t done a single show yet, hence why my gross is a big fat 0.

Tracking Each City

After handling the expenses sheet, you’ll notice a tab for each city, which allows you to track your attendance and money earned from each show.

As an example, let’s break down the Hollywood show tracker. Keep in mind, you can of course add as many shows as you’d like.

As you can see above, I differentiate between audience members and total tickets sold, because those are rarely the same (comps will add bodies without dollars, and most small festivals allow artists some degree of leeway to watch other shows without paying).

Obviously, your ticket revenue from each night is the critical piece to record, which is reflected in “Total $$.” The three columns to the right average those numbers, which, in my opinion, are just as important as tracking them individually. If you ever pitch your show to another venue, you’ll show them averages—they won’t care if you had a huge sellout or a small show, they want consistency.

And the fourth column, “Hollywood Gross,” pulls in all of the money from each show. The gross then populates in the expenses tab to give you your net for the festival.

You’ll notice the divide by zero errors because the festivals haven’t happened yet—there’s no data.

Pounds and Dollars

In the Edinburgh section, revenue is recorded in Pounds and Dollars, with an automatic conversion from Pounds to Dollars.

It’s important to remember that the Google Finance conversion is based on the exchange rate that it pulls, but the amount you pay is often off by a few dollars. The Google Finance conversion is a very accurate estimate, but it’s important to record the actual number once you eventually pay it.

Another section I made specifically for Edinburgh tells you how much money you need to earn before you start paying your door split (basically, I owe 3100 pounds until my show grosses 8857 pounds, at which point, I’ll pay 35% of every ticket sold for every additional ticket. The formula allows you to put your venue guarantee and door split to calculate the figure on the right).

This is different for each venue, so you’ll need to check your exact specifications if you use this.

Have fun!

Anyway, here’s the spreadsheet. Once you open it, click “File, Make a Copy,” in order to edit it.

Play around with it and see how the data automatically updates across each tab. I hope it allows you to get a full financial picture of your fringe festivals, and makes your life a little easier.

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Thanks for reading! I make my living doing public shows, and you can get tickets to upcoming performances here:

• June 4th, 5th, and 6th, Denver Fringe Festival: Strangers

• June 8th, 11th, 13th, 16th, 21st, 25th, Hollywood Fringe Festival: Strangers

• July 27th, Strangers, New York City, 8:00 PM (tickets coming soon)

• July 30th, Denver: Strangers, 7:30 PM

• August 6th-30th: Edinburgh: Strangers at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 5:50 PM nightly

It’s impressive, yes. But it also shows the audience: I care about you. I see you. I remember you.

Unlike a Diagonal Palm Shift, this won’t take years of practice in your basement. This will take effort, but it’s easier than you think, and is a real-world skill that you can apply to all of your shows.

Even if you don’t do a lot of stage performances, there’s nothing like thanking everyone by name at a strolling gig, or just having command of the room at a dinner party.

So, how do you remember 100 names in one go? Let’s start with one name.

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The first mnemonic

“Hi there! My name is Max, and I’m one of the magicians performing on the lineup tonight. What’s your name?” That’s all it takes. Approach a stranger, ask them their name, and listen.

Now, don’t commit it to short-term memory (like repeating it seven times or writing it in your notes app). Commit it to long-term memory. How? Create a mnemonic.

Let’s say you meet Jeff and Rachel. When I think of the name “Jeff,” I think of a “chef,” and then, a large white chef’s hat. When I hear Rachel, I think of the Friends character. If Jeff and Rachel are a couple, I might imagine Rachel trying to cook in Monica’s apartment from Friends. She’s wearing a chef’s hat to make herself feel like what she’s doing is real, but in reality, she’s just making an enormous mess. This links Jeff and Rachel.

Additionally, the bigger the “mess” in my head, the easier it is to remember. Images that are weird, oversized, undersized, and grotesque stick out the most.

I’ll then link that image to whatever Jeff and Rachel look like or are wearing. Maybe Jeff is in a bright green shirt–great. The chef’s hat is now green in my head.

Before you protest, “That takes way too long,” keep in mind that it took me significantly longer to write that than to think it. In practice, it takes maybe 10-15 seconds.

How do I get to 100 names?

The way you memorize 100 names is the way you memorize one name. You just do that same strategy as many times as you can. But let’s get into the specifics of how you can practically scale this skill.

The actual challenge is doing it repeatedly, under pressure, and not messing up. Those are the details I’ll get into below:

The Lineup Show Hack

Memorizing names on a lineup show is much easier because you can review the names while other performers are on stage.

I would highly encourage you to try this on a lineup show when you’re not the first act, because you’ll have extra time to practice and can work up the confidence.

Eventually, you’ll be able to do it in a solo show (which I’ve done plenty of times), but a lineup show is a perfect safety net.

What happens when you meet a larger group?

A human’s short-term memory is usually limited to 6-7 distinct objects. Or, in this case, names.

So, if you hear four names (like, a group of four people), you will have enough time to go from short-term memory to a mnemonic without forgetting anything. This is where traditional short-term memory strategies are helpful. Repeat the four names a few times just enough to give you a mnemonic, then lock it in.

If you meet five or more people, I’d recommend breaking it down into smaller groups. Learn three people, walk away, and come back and meet the final few.

What to do immediately after you hear the name

The way we’re taught to remember information is wrong–you can’t just say something over and over and expect it to stick for more than a few minutes. You need to take those 10-15 seconds to really commit it to memory.

I know so many people who think this sounds like “too much work.” I promise you it’s not. It’s way more work to go back through the room a second time to review the names that you forgot because you didn’t remember them in the first place.

My rule, generally, is that I’m not allowed to move on to the next people until I’ve reviewed everyone else.

Let’s say I remember the first ten people in the room. I’ll quickly review those ten names before I move on to the next two. This ensures that I don’t speed too quickly and end up with ten names that I need to go back and confirm.

Learning names is a constant process of constantly reviewing them.

Focus on quality, not quantity

Let’s say the room has fifty people. I’d rather meet only forty people and get them all correct than meet all fifty people and only remember forty with ten mistakes.

Because you’re doing this for real, the audience understands that if you didn’t meet them, you won’t remember them. While it’s awesome to memorize the entire room, a mistake is very personal here. Nobody wants to be the one person whose name you forget.

It is infinitely better to get everyone you meet correct than to stretch yourself and miss people because of it.

In short, you do not have to memorize the entire room. It’s great when you can, and once you get experience, it’s worth it to stretch yourself. But when you’re first starting out, this is unnecessary.

Last year, my goal was to memorize every name at the Chicago Magic Lounge (105-110 people). My first night there, however, I only memorized eighty names, because I simply didn’t have the bandwidth to remember everyone. The next night, with more comfort and confidence, I nailed the whole room.

Should you use your phone to take notes?

I used to meet someone, write their name on my phone, and review the names later. That was a horrible method. It seems safer, because you’ll always have a backup on your phone, but it just delays the memorization and makes it harder.

The key, genuinely, is to trust that your brain is capable of doing this. Because I promise that it is. Go slow to go fast. Slow down in the moment, learn each name, and you will be able to learn the whole room without your phone.

There are, of course, exceptions to the rule. Every once in a while, I’ll get a very complicated name, and rather than memorizing it on the spot, I’ll write it down, go backstage, and commit it to memory when I have a moment to think.

The more complicated the name, the more satisfying it is to get right, and the better that person will feel. Someone named Alex has had a very easy life. Someone named Divya (a pretty common name, but still one that’s bound to be mispronounced), has probably had their name messed up more times than they can count. You’re giving them the gift of hearing them correctly. That’s a wonderful thing.

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How to review during the show

I’d be lying if I said this was easy. If you’re doing this at the end of your show, it means you need to retain the names for, sometimes, an hour. How do you do that?

First, if you actually use a mnemonic, it will stay with no effort. That’s the point of a mnemonic. It’s memorable.

And it’s not like you’re leaving and getting coffee. You’re staying in the same room, thinking about the show, looking at the people. You will remember them.

You can, however, review names while you’re on stage, and here’s how:

1. Find moments of silence where you can think. I do a needle swallow in my show. There’s a good 30 seconds of silence when the needle is in my mouth and nobody is speaking. I’ll usually take that time to scan the crowd and go over any names I’m shaky on. It may sound ridiculous to do that during a trick, but because I’m so comfortable with this routine, and I’m not trying to talk over it, I find this quite simple.

2. Anticipate people’s names before they say them. I don’t like to reveal that I’ve memorized everybody’s name during my show (I want it to be as much of a surprise as possible). So when I call on them, I might say “remind me your name?” Or “Say your name, again, so everyone can hear?” This implies that I remember we met, but I want everyone else to hear it. Right before they say their name, say it in your head, and make sure you get it right. If you don’t, no worries! They just told you.

3. Have a routine where you can talk to a lot of people. Basically, have a routine where you can talk to participants in an inconsequential way, like having them examine an object. For me, it’s my memory routine. I can talk to so many people because I’m handing out objects for examination, calling on people to Google information, and getting cards selected. I can literally get seven names if I need to.

4. Invent reasons to ask people their name. Say you’re doing a book test, and you want to review two people’s names, but you’re only talking to one person. John is remembering a word, and you think that Stella is sitting next to him, but you’re not 100% sure. So, as you’re doing the book test, you can say something like “What’s your name? Stella? Stella, can you make sure as John does this that all the pages are genuinely different?” You can always invent a reason to call on someone.

The Cristina Dilemma

There are so many variations of this name. You might hear Cristina, Kristy, Krista, Kirsty, Christian, or Chris. It is imperative to get these right. Often, you’ll get a Cristina on one side of the room and Kristy on the other. It will get an audible gasp if you say, “Your name is Cristina, and yours, not to be confused, is Kristy, right?”

For names like that (Laura/Lauren, Michael/Mike, Jen/Jennifer), create a completely different mnemonic for each name.

For example, when I hear Laura, I think of a covered wagon, because of Laura Ingalls Wilder from the book Little House on the Prairie. But when I hear Lauren, I think of a wren carrying a judge’s gavel (law, LawWren). So, even though the names are nearly identical, the images are completely different.

If you don’t do this, you’ll miss these names that are really close to each other, and you need to get them right. People respect this kind of precision. If someone introduces themselves to you as Michael, you are wrong if you say Mike.

“We didn’t meet, right? But your name is Carla?”

This is one of my favorite subtleties. Sometimes, when I’m meeting people, they’ll have a seat saved. I’ll often ask for the name of the friend who hasn’t arrived yet. They tell me, I remember it, and I get a great moment at the end. I’ll point to someone and say, “We didn’t meet, right? But your name is Carla?”

It’s pretty funny how large a reaction this gets. Again, it’s ok if the “method” falls apart after the show. I’m not presenting it as a trick. I just want to add some texture to the reveal.

But, if you give their friend a wink before the show and say, “Ok, I’m gonna tell Carla her name, never tell her how it works,” they’ll usually giggle and comply, because they’re now in on the trick.

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They will stand. Don’t force it

The way I (and most people, all the way back to Harry Lorayne) present this trick is by having the audience stand up. Then, as I name each person, they sit down.

I can’t tell you how many magicians have suggested that I do the opposite–have everyone stand so that it ends in a standing ovation. A few thoughts here:

1. In my opinion, forcing your audience into a standing ovation feels needy. Don’t do it.

2. It completely kills the drama of the routine. Having 5 people remaining, standing, is so much more dramatic than 5 people sitting.

3. On a practical level, it would be way harder to even see the people who are sitting than the final people who are standing.

4. If you do this well, it will likely lead to a standing ovation. It’s an incredibly impressive feat. Do not force it.

Don’t bother looking at the ticket list

It might be easy to comfort yourself by looking at who bought tickets before the show and trying to remember those names. I think that’s a waste of time for multiple reasons:

1. The person who bought the tickets might not be the person who shows up. They could’ve bought the tickets for a friend. They could’ve gotten sick and given them away. You just don’t know if memorizing that name is worth your time.

2. The name they bought the ticket under might not be what they go by in real life. This happens so often. Memorizing Alexander and then switching to “Alex,” “Lexi” or any of its variants would take more work than just memorizing the correct name in the first place.

3. If you can do it for real, in the moment (which you can), there’s no reason to try to do this before. It’s just a complete waste of time.

Sometimes you have to be brave

The ultimate version of this trick is getting the entire room. This means you have to be a bit ruthless. Not rude. But ruthless. I’ve climbed through rows of seats, interrupted conversations, and been a little bit awkward to make this work.

Again, these are minor interruptions. It’s completely ok to tap people on the shoulder and say “Hi! I just wanted to welcome you to the show. I’m so happy that you’re here.” Yes, it’s a little strange, but the payoff is entirely worth it.

What happens when you mess up?

It’s foolish to assume that you’ll never mess up. You will. What’s far more likely to happen than purely forgetting, though, is changing the name.

For example, I can only think of 2-3 times ever (out of thousands of names), where I’ve straight up whiffed. Like. Zero clue what the name could be.

When I miss (which is still pretty rare, but it does happen), I’ll usually swap a syllable (I remember meeting someone named Nayha and I unfortunately said Hayna. Or, I’ve missed Mike and Michael.

While not ideal, it’s important not to let this scare you. Any trick will go wrong. The key is to minimize your mistakes. And if your biggest problem is Mike/Michael, you’re doing just fine.

The Hannah/Anna Dilemma

This is, by far, my most common mistake. Rooms are loud. It’s very easy to mishear someone. I’ve called someone named “Hannah,” “Anna,” many times. This is tough because you remembered the name, but you memorized it incorrectly.

This will happen. It’s almost unavoidable. The best way to prevent this is to repeat the name back to someone, often several times, to make sure you get it right.

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So, how hard is this really?

The memorization itself is quite easy. Anyone can create a mnemonic. Doing it under pressure is the challenging part.

While you can practice at home (early on, when I’d watch TV, I’d try to clock the names of characters the first time I heard them), you can really only practice on stage.

Here are a few easier ways to do it:

1. Do it in a strolling gig. Don’t present it as a trick; just call on as many people by name as you possibly can.

2. If holding the names in your long-term memory intimidates you, open your show with it. It’s an incredibly strong opener, and it means that you don’t have to retain the names for as long.

3. Start small! Even 20 or 30 names is impressive. I promise, with practice, 20 names will be as basic as a double lift.

Anything takes practice. A trick that’s so impactful for so many people is entirely worth it. I wish you luck.

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Thanks for reading! I make my living doing public shows, and you can get tickets to upcoming performances here:

• May 28th, New York: Strangers, 6:30 PM

• June 4th, 5th, and 6th, Denver Fringe Festival: Strangers

• June 8th, 11th, 13th, 16th, 21st, 25th, Hollywood Fringe Festival: Strangers

• July 30th, Denver: Strangers, 7:30 PM

• August 6th-30th: Edinburgh: Strangers at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 5:50 PM nightly

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Here’s a screenshot of what happened. Notice the exponential curve in April:

The thing is, I wasn’t surprised. This was a deliberate attempt to get more subscribers that didn’t include any dumb marketing schemes or a single dollar spent. Here’s how I did it:

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