By 2002 Jimmy’s career was being turbo charged by TV work (UK and USA), a first appearance at JFL Montreal (here) and a performance on the Royal Variety Show (here). He’d arrived.

More 2002 posts under these links:

• 2002 TV work – here
• 2002 USA – here
• 2002 pub gigs and festival appearances – here
• 2002 radio – here

His Edinburgh 2002 appearance (here) was his first with a solo show (tour) – called Bare Faced Ambition.

Nominated for what was then known as the Perrier Award (here) he had been pipped at the post (by Daniel Kitson) but this September Chortle article showed how in demand he was, in the last quarter of 2002:

• He’d been added to the bill of the Peter Cook tribute show (here) – which was filmed for a BBC2 Christmas broadcast
• Booked to make an appearance on Conan (here)
• Had a gig lined up at His Majesty’s Theatre

That latter show (His Majesty’s Theatre) was a part of Perrier’s “Pick of the Fringe” season, showcasing talent from Edinburgh 2002, down in London.

Perrier’s spokesman told Chortle:

“This is the only opportunity to see his show as Jimmy is incredibly busy at the moment, with a lot of interest from the US, as he is the archetypal English chap.”

This gig was in an amazing venue but Bare Faced Ambition was very much in its infancy.

There had been a WIP (Work In Progress) gig in Bedford at the Entertainment Shed on July 13^th 2002. The Ent Shed (in the Gordon Arms pub, Castle Road, Bedford, MK40 3QY) holds 100 people (see image here).

The bulk of the try-outs were at Edinburgh in the Gilded Balloon, where he performed the 1 hour show 23 times between August 2^nd and 26^th (he had days off on the 13^th and 20^th).

Then it was time for his first “West End appearance” at the historic 1,200-seater theatre (built in 1897) – see gallery on here.

Can you imagine how excited / nervous he must have been?