Tell us a little bit about your show – where’s it happening, what’s it about, why should people come to see it?
My show is a combination of words, generally in sentences – with occasional mavericks heading out by themselves for more impact and then grouped together in paragraphs and said by my face to make you laugh and occasionally think about things. This year the end result shall be fairly political what with me being a bit sad about the state of things whilst still containing my childish need to talk about dragons.
Its happening at 1.45pm at the Assembly on the Mound. Tee hee, mound.
People should come and see it because if its raining you can sit down. If it isn’t raining, maybe you’ll have just had lunch and need a sit down. You might also laugh and learn something. Failing that, you will get to sit down.
What are you most looking forward to about coming back to Edinburgh?
That terrible feeling of dread that I’m going to do it all over again. Followed by that elated feeling of joy that I’m going to do it all over again. Then that is joined immediately by a worry that I’m bi-polar and then a trip to the bar to drown all further thought and just get on with it. That and eating enough stodgy food to keep me going with body warmth until February, but enough walking over cobbled hills to ensure I burn it all off by end of August anyway and have legs that could kick a horse to death. Then the general disappointment that there are no horses nearby to test said theory.
What’s been your favourite / funniest Edinburgh Fringe experience so far?
Searching all over Edinburgh for a horse, finding one to prove my theory, then accidentally realising I’d kicked two men in a suit to death on the Royal Mile by accident. How we laughed! We didn’t. No one did. Just tears.
My other favourite moment was when Tim Minchin stole my crepe in 2008. Only I cried then as a bare footed man ran away with my much needed cheese and mushroom delicacy outside the Gilded Balloon at 6am. He seems all lovely really, but only a truly evil man can cackle like that when taking a drinking buddy’s late night stomach filler.
If money was no object, what publicity stunt would you do to promote your show?
If money was no object, then how would I pay for things in cash? You really should think these questions through.
If I could pay for anything though I’d have a series of David Cameron lookalikes attack me on the Royal Mile whereby I’d do Scott Pilgrim-esque fight moves destroying them all until they explode into millions of gold coins which I would throw at passers by whilst carried on a carriage of small Icelandic ponies as I shout ‘down with everything’ and watch as my show poster is projected on the moon.
Who else are you planning or hoping to see?
Where to start? There are heaps of amazing shows up there this year including Glenn Wool, Keith Farnan, Jigsaw, Tiffany Stevenson, Carl Donnelly, and Colin Hoult amongst many many others.
Much like every year I’m going to embrace the fringe spirit like a hairy ghost hugger (sorry for the quality of that gag) and go see at least two or three things I’ve never heard about and take a chance.
What do you have planned for after the Fringe?
Sleep. Endless sleep. Every year I leave the fringe on the 31st August, head home, eat as many vegetables as there are in the near vicinity and then go to bed for a week like a less enthusiastic Rip Van Winkle. This year will be the same.
Then after that, I’ll get up and do some things. Like sitting. Or eating more vegetables. I’ll probably also spend some time trying to find that bloomin’ horse….
Sum up your show in three words for us
It’s a show.