Festival spirit

Summer is the season of disabled supershows and I love them. They’re a bit like Summertime Special with mobility scooters.

I love their variety.

There’s nothing like seeing some-one you thought confined to a wheelchair flying through the air on a bungee rope interpreting human-kind’s place in nature.

I love the discomfort of the non-disabled finding themselves as the special needs group because there are no chairs.

I love doing stand-up shows and discovering I’m the only act performing standing up.

I love my fellow performers – just as well, considering that they’re all the usual suspects. No disability arts event can take place without at least four out of Caroline Parker, Laurence Clark, Liz Carr, Matt Fraser or Julie Fernandez performing.

When we found that both Matt and Julie couldn’t make it, we had to make pretend ones out of stuffed pyjamas and beach balls that we held out at roll-call to fool the goons.

I love the audiences, though I didn’t used to. I used to fear I’d offend them; but after a few years, I’ve found that they’re the least offendable bunch in the world – or perhaps I’ve just got funnier. I tell everyone that if they don't laugh, they’re breaking the Disability Discrimination Act and no one looks at me with a “really?” look.

I also love the fact that there’s so much I don’t need to explain. Most of all, I love opening the envelope with the organisers’ logo on it and seeing my name on the cheque.

Steve Day