So, been up here in Edinburgh for a few days now, and finally done my first performance of How To Be A Leader. Now a whole month of performing, walking, erecting umbrellas and writing poetry awaits. Seems daunting now, but by the end I bet I’ll be sad it’s over.

I did my first show last night (8:55pm, Underbelly) and, frankly, spent the entire performance in a state of catatonic rabbit-in-the-headlights style terror. Fortunately, that was a dialogue going on inside my head only, while externally I remained a facade of hyperkinetic, sweaty geniality. Thank you very much to everybody who wished me well or sent me good luck vibes through the ether. Straight after the show, I went to The List party with John Osborne, and we wrote bespoke poems for the guests. Requested subjects included freestyle beard grooming and leaving your job as a civil servant to become an illusionist in Tahiti.

Tomorrow, we start both The Poetry Takeaway and Aisle16 R Kool (10pm, The Banshee Labyrinth, FREE). I guess that’s when the real work begins. I feel very, very lucky to be here, but also like I’m facing the toughest challenge of my ‘career’. Which is pretty cool. Whatever happens, I suspect I’ll be a better performer by the end of this run, which is all you can ask for, really.