As we enter the final day of Altitude 2012 it’s hard to deny the sense of community that has grown between the festival-goers, Altitude staff and the comics. The beautiful resort of Mayrhofen has one main street where most people can be seen between gigs, be it returning or collecting skis and boards, or feasting on some of the delicious Austrian food and drink on offer all along the strip. As co-creator Andrew Maxwell said at last night’s Gala, it’s not like anyone attending is unfamiliar with each other. On the slopes all day and at comedy all night. A niche market, I suppose, but it certainly shows that everyone attending the festival has at least two interests in common which make for easy connections. There is a lovely atmosphere at these gigs and around the resort as a result. Maxwell continued, making the point of how challenging a festival it is for the comics. Nearly every performer had at least two gigs to deliver, but to the same people. Both Benny Boot and Ben Norris asked the audience who had seen them the night before and finding 80-90% had been at the other gigs, successfully stepped away from their usual 20 and smashed the gig despite it. Benny Boot had gained so many fans from the night before that he performed Altitude’s first ‘Joke Encore’ where audience members demanded he repeat one of their favourite jokes and even said it along with him!
Thursday night’s Gala show featured performances from Craig Campbell, Rufus Hound, Andrew Maxwell, Marcus Brigstocke, Phill Jupitus (pictured) and Tim Minchin. As we’ve grown accustomed to, the night was a great success! Between stories of Craig’s morphine madness, Maxwell’s kidnapping and Rufus deciding he would pick up from where he left off last night in today’s show, Minchin’s musical skills were the only way to bring it to a close. The crowd swarmed in to the Late Late Show afterward all a’buzz with his charm. The late show saw Terry Alderton wake an audience member in the front row and throw him on stage with the simple direction ‘Now be funny!’. Chairs were thrown and fire extinguishers wheeled out on trolleys. That’s the kind of night we had and that’s the kind of night everyone wanted. The fab Tiernan Douieb, Andre Vincent and Terry Alderton opened the first half, followed by compere Matt Reed, Andi Osho and Benny Boot for the second. The final two shows will take place today, with a comedy marathon gala show this evening from 7pm and another late show to close us out. Hard to believe the festival is nearly at an end. Best make the most of the time left; to the slopes!
