Setbacks and Set Cancellations

Setbacks and Set Cancellations

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I’m meant to be in Barcelona right now. But I am not. I am in Dublin, on the couch, typing this.

I was supposed to have two shows as part of Barcelona Fringe. But we had to cancel. I got an email late on Wednesday night stating that only four tickets had been sold, and that I’d have to ensure at least twenty tickets were secured before the following afternoon or the shows wouldn’t go head. I was due to fly out the next morning. So this isn’t something I could ensure. How could? I made the disappointing decision to cancel the shows and the trip, which I am genuinely gutted about.

I’m sure you have questions. Why didn’t I just go anyway, to Barcelona for the weekend? A fair question. Since this was a business trip, and due to the shows being cancelled I’d lose money, it didn’t make financial sense. But say I just used it as a holiday instead, wouldn’t that have been nice? Yes. But also, I know myself. And I know I would have just partied all weekend. And I’m come home wrecked and anxious. And I didn’t want that.

The reason I write of this at all is to be transparent. Because while it feels embarrassing to say that I couldn’t sell even twenty tickets for a show at this stage in my career, it is a common reality. And ultimately it had little to do with me. Shows were being cancelled left, right and centre at this year’s festival. I don’t know why exactly. I do know that there was very little marketing done by the festival for my show. I imagine the same is true for other shows, too. No shade, though, I just feel the festival may have bitten off more than it has resources for.

Is this a big deal? No. Did it shake my confidence? A bit. Will I recover? Of course. All of this is to say that setbacks happen. You can be doing so well and something will come along to knock you back. It hasn’t been a great week so far, but I know it’ll get better. Energy moves in waves. The next wave will be more gentle.