EXCLUSIVE: Georgie Grier jokes ‘Hello Wembley!’ as her Edinburgh Fringe show today sells out just 24 hours she was forced to perform for one person – as the lone audience member who cheered her on is revealed
Georgie Grier performed to a near-sell out crowd at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival today – comparing it to playing Wembley – 24 hours after only one person turned up, MailOnline can reveal today.
The London-based actress was left in tears after her one woman play, ‘Sunsets’, was watched by only one woman, who it has emerged is fellow Edinburgh debutante Sophie Craig.
Ms Craig tweeted today: ‘I was that one person in the lovely Georgie Grier’s audience. We had a lovely hug at the end and she was so professional and brave and she gave me everything. You should be so proud angel! Thank YOU! Now go get em girl’.
Georgie’s tearful tweet last night went viral, and sparked kindness from some of the biggest names in comedy including Sarah Millican, Jason Manford and Dara Ó Briain.
And today festival-goers turned out in force to support her and Sunsets, with people queueing out of the door until she played to a packed room.
Around 32 seats out of the 40 available for the £11-a-ticket sold for her performance this afternoon. She looked delighted and said: ‘Hello Wembley’ before launching into her show.
Georgie Grier, an actress and writer based in London, shared a teary-eyed photo of herself on Twitter and said only one person was in the audience for her show Sunsets
Sophie Craig has revealed that she was the one person there yesterday and that they hugged at the end
Susan Keelan and her husband outside Adam House in Edinburgh to support Georgie Grier
Others took to Twitter to say they would also be going to watch after one person turned up
Susan Keelan, 59, and her husband have travelled from Ireland for the festival and said: ‘My daughter in Sydney saw Dara ÓBriain post a link about what happened yesterday, and as we were randomly walking up here some guy gave us a leaflet for the show.
‘And we thought well that’s fate, we’ll definitely give it a go. It’s not that I felt sorry for her because it’s so hard for them all – we’ve been here for three days now and we’ve gone to a lot of shows.
‘The competition is huge and the talent is amazing and so much can fall under the radar but going to see her today just seems to be a good opportunity to pick this one up and give her [Georgie] a bit of a boost’.
Another festival-goer, who has travelled from London, said: ‘I read about what happened this morning – so I wanted to come along.
‘I can understand why she’s upset because it’s like bearing your soul, and it can make you feel very vulnerable when nobody comes to see your show. But I think she’s going to do alright.’
A steady stream of people headed into Georgie Grier’s show ‘at Adam House in Edinburgh’s Old Town this afternoon – staff said it was a lot busier than recent days.
Tickets sales have rocketed with the room where Georgie was performing sat near full capacity this afternoon.
The London-based actress is the star of a one woman play, ‘Sunsets’ (pictured)
Stars have taken to social media to support her and tell stories of how they played to small crowds
Georgie has now revealed that she took to social media to avoid worrying her mum by phoning her in an emotional state and says she had no prior intentions of her message going viral.
Georgie said: ‘I didn’t want to call my mum crying. I didn’t want her to have to go through that again.
‘I thought the hash tag Ed Fringe community on social media has been a really supportive place.
‘I thought I might find a couple of other people who had one person or get some words of comfort.
‘I did not expect the level of reaction I’ve had it’s been so lovely, so unexpected, so many words for what I have experienced. I am so appreciative of what I have experienced.’
Those doubting Georgie’s intentions will remember comedian Robin Grainger, who last year rose to fame when one person attended his show at the Scottish festival.
She added: ‘I just wanted someone to vent to who wasn’t my mum. In that moment I had tears in my eyes, I wasn’t thinking anything further than needing a bit of a release and not having to bother my mum, my dad and my sister.’
Georgie, who says she decided to put on a one woman play to save production costs, told Anita Rani on today’s Woman’s Hour that she never expected the reaction she has received less than 24 hours after sharing her teary post.
She said: ‘I thought I might find a couple of other people who had one person or get some words of comfort. I did not expect the level of reaction I’ve had it’s been so lovely, so unexpected, so many words for what I have experienced. I am so appreciative of what I have experienced’.
‘Comedian Jason Manford very kindly put a video out saying he had been in a similar position. He did a whole little video… it was so nice of him. And other comedians and other performers across the Edinburgh Fringe.’
TV star Jason reacted by sending Georgie a video, reassuring the writer, ‘It’s absolutely normal for one person to rock up to your show especially at the beginning of Edinburgh’
Well-known comedians have offered their support to an actor after she posted that only one person attended her one-woman play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Actor and writer Georgie Grier posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: ‘There was one person in my audience today when I performed my one woman play, ‘Sunsets’ at #edfringe. It’s fine, isn’t it? It’s fine…?’
The post, which included a photo of the actor crying, caught the attention of comedians Dara O Briain and Jason Manford.
O Briain replied: ‘We’ve ALL done it. Soon, you’ll dine out on this anecdote.
‘More than once I had to buy my audience a drink, as a thank you for being the only ones there.
‘Best thing though, it’s all stage time, and the show will get better every single time, ready for the big crowds later!.’
Manford replied with a video message, in which he said: ‘It’s absolutely normal…for one person to rock up to your show, especially at the beginning of Edinburgh, and also for you to be a bit upset or annoyed or pissed off about it.
‘That’s totally fine as well.
‘I did Edinburgh in 2004-5 and I remember [the] first couple of shows, the first week I think, was just, it was such a slog and I was out in the rain and I was flyering and people weren’t coming.
‘I got total impostor syndrome. How much is this costing me? What am I doing here?
‘Look at all these amazing people. How embarrassing that…nobody’s turned up but, you know what, you’re on the path and it’s just the start, that’s all.’
He told Ms Grier that ‘tomorrow will be better and next week will be better…so just enjoy yourself, if you can’.
Among the other public figures to reply to Ms Grier was Member of the House of Lords Daniel Finkelstein and astronomer and television presenter Mark Thompson.
Mr Thompson said: ‘I’ve seen amazing shows with really poor audience numbers.
‘Just because there was just one audience member doesn’t mean your show isn’t awesome. believe in yourself but maybe it’s the poster/marketing?’
Lord Finkelstein said: ‘I went to Norwich to give a speech and it took me 4hrs of travel. There were only 2 people there.
‘One of them was the person who invited me. I asked the other person to join the cause I was there to support. He said he would, but it might interfere with the terms of his parole.’
Ms Grier later thanked those offering their support and shared the details of her Edinburgh Fringe Festival show, Sunsets, which she described as ‘about rom coms but also family’,
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