The Edinburgh Interviews 2017

The Edinburgh Interviews 2017: Loyiso Gola

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I like the fact that I get to do so much stand up comedy, I get to do 28 odd hours of comedy in a month. That’s the best way to get better at stand up comedy. After the festival my show will be water tight. It’s a gruelling 28 but I will never miss it again.

2) What is your first Edinburgh show about?

This particular show is me sharing a journey of growth and self evaluation. I have learnt so much in my 34 years on planet earth. Both good and bad sometimes direct but mostly indirectly. The show unpacks my personal and society’s learning and teachings.

3) Does your comedy attract a certain type of audience?

No not all and unintentionally so. My subject matter resonates across the board. Well actually the millennials tend to back off a bit when you dive into race issues. They really like to mollycoddled through jokes of gender and race dynamics. That annoys me.

4) What is the worst experience you’ve had with Edinburgh accommodation?

I have always had great accommodation experiences in Edinburgh. I really can’t relate. Jeeeez I sound like a millennial.

5) What is your most treasured memory of your comedy career so far?

What I appreciate the most about my comedy career is the fact that I travel to and have experienced so many places. I have been to Lagos, Estonia, Melbourne, NYC, Montreal… all from telling jokes.

6) What show will you definitely be seeing at the festival this year?

I don’t really watch much stand up comedy at all. I find that if I like an act I tend to subconsciously try to emulate them. I will watch the first ten minutes of some stand up on Netflix just to get a feel of the act.

7) What do you hope to gain from the Edinburgh Festival this year?

A killer show that I take to the world. I am also looking forward to the summer sun of Scotland. My highlight is seeing comedians I have not seen in years and catching up.

8) What do you imagine your last ever show will be about?

It will be about why America still has not had a woman president and Arsenal FC is the best football club in the world.

BOOK TICKETS FOR LOYISO GOLA: UNLEARNING, AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2017

The Edinburgh Interviews 2017: Maria Shehata

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1) What excites you most about the Edinburgh Festival?

When I was a kid we used to take summer vacations with 8 different families and it was the one time of year I got to be around all my close friends and family in one place. That’s a little what the festival feels like to me. 

2) What is your first Edinburgh show about?  

It’s called Wisdomless about my whimsical move to the UK from LA for love, and the realities that followed.

3) Does your comedy attract a certain type of audience? 

I think everyone enjoys me as long as they’re less than three drinks in.

4) What would be your worst Edinburgh accommodation nightmare?

I think my worst nightmare accommodation would be, and I’ve only heard, living with other comedians while some are doing well and others are struggling. I imagine it would be like being in the middle of a break up while your roommate is falling head over heels in love. It takes a special kind of person to not let that bother you.

5) What is your most treasured memory of your comedy career so far? 

Watching an Irish band play at a smokey bar in some secret-y location of a high rise in Ramallah. I was in Palestine because the US Consulate had invited me to perform and they were escorting me everywhere. I felt like it was all slightly dangerous until I saw these Irish people just there chilling.

6) What show will you definitely be seeing at the festival this year? 

Sara Pascoe’s Ladsladslads.

7) What do you hope to gain from the Edinburgh Festival this year? 

I have been living in the UK for a year, and feel like it’s a necessary evil when doing comedy here. Not that it’s evil… It is a little evil.

8) What do you imagine your last ever show will be about?

Considering this show is about what is happening to me right now, I imagine all shows after will be the same, so my last show I will be Skyping in from where I’m about to die, and as soon as a joke does well I’ll say “thank you goodnight!” And die.

BOOK TICKETS FOR MARIA SHEHATA: WISDOMLESS, AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2017

The Edinburgh Interviews 2017: Annie McGrath

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Annie McGrath, who performed at the Edinburgh Festival last year with Jack Barry as part of Twins, returns to the Fringe this year with her latest show Ambivert. She will be performing at Just the Tonic at The Mash House throughout August.

1) What excites you most about the Edinburgh Festival?

It’s like being at university again. You live within walking distance of your friends, and you can go to bed whenever you like!

2) What was your first Edinburgh show about?

Last year was my first solo show in Edinburgh and it was called The Seven Ages of An. The narrative was that I was proving my acting abilities to an old, incredibly successful, school friend… But it was essentially just a parody of observational stand-up told from the perspectives of seven different characters: a seven year old, an 89 year old, a sperm, a ghost, a middle-aged woman, a baby, and a 26 year-old (me… TWIST!).

3) Does your comedy attract a certain type of audience?

I’m not sure really. I only notice the weird old men who seem too attracted to it.

4) What is the worst experience you’ve had with Edinburgh accommodation?

In 2010, there was a night when three of us got locked out and had to sleep outside our flat on a stone spiral staircase.

5) What is your most treasured memory of your comedy career so far?

My friend Max pissing into a bottle every night backstage before our show because there was no loo in the venue.

6) What show will you definitely be seeing at the festival this year?

Mae Martin and Nick Coyle are doing a late night show at City Café called Show Party, which I will definitely be seeing. We did a preview together recently and they are both brilliant.

7) What do you hope to gain from the Edinburgh Festival this year?

I’m hoping I’ll come back a millionaire. That’s why we do it. For all that sweet ca$h.

8) What do you imagine your last ever show will be about? (If you dare!)

Oh god. I dare to imagine. Maybe in ten years I’ll do a best of. A ten minute show.

BOOK TICKETS FOR ANNIE MCGRATH: AMBIVERT, AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2017

The Edinburgh Interviews 2017: Andy Daly

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© Mandee Johnson

Andy Daly is an American sketch comic and improviser who is bringing his most popular monstrous comedy characters to this year’s Edinburgh Festival. Daly’s show, Monsters Take Your Questions, will be at the Gilded Balloon’s Wine Bar throughout August.

1) What excites you most about the Edinburgh Festival?

I’m excited to see some comedians I’ve never seen before and very excited to perform for a fun-loving festival crowd. My show involves a lot of audience participation and I’m curious to see what the Edinburghers bring to it.

2) What is your first Edinburgh show about?

My show features three of my most beloved (and most monstrous) characters who will tell the audience a little bit about themselves and then throw the floor open to questions. So what is it about? I guess we’ll find out together!

3) Does your comedy attract a certain type of audience?

When I perform live in the States, my audience tends to be people who’ve heard me on comedy podcasts. These folks are true comedy fans, comedy connoisseurs, if you will. Also, they don’t mind when things get a little raunchy. My characters are lovably disgusting! I actually have no idea how familiar Scottish audiences are with my characters. I’m guessing I’ll be performing for some existing fans as well as some people who have no idea what I do. Should be fun. 

4) What would be your worst Edinburgh accommodation nightmare?

Probably jail. I’ll bet that’s the worst place to stay in Edinburgh. I’m going to try very hard to stay out of jail. But no promises!

5) What is your most treasured memory of your comedy career so far?

Can I give you three? I got to be in a sketch with Martin Short once. I got to improvise with Fred Willard. I got to sit around on a set and nerd out about 70s comedy with Martin Mull, Chevy Chase and Julie Haggerty. Those are fun times I’ll never forget. 

6) What show will you definitely be seeing at the festival this year?

Because I’m traveling with my kids, the only shows I’ve looked into so far are kids shows. There’s a kids production of Macbeth that I can’t wait to check out. It’s about time my daughters reckoned with the consequences of murder!

7) What do you hope to gain from the Edinburgh Festival this year?

My goal is really just to have an enjoyable time. Anything beyond that will be gravy. But the idea of being introduced to the UK audience and getting to work there more often really appeals to me. I’m such a fan of British comedy and I’d love to be a part of it.

8) What do you imagine your last ever show will be about?

There’s a decent chance this IS my last ever show. And I don’t even know what this one’s about. So that’s a tough one. 

BOOK TICKETS FOR ANDY DALY: MONSTERS TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS, AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2017

The Edinburgh Interviews 2017: Michael Stranney

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© James Deacon

Michael Stranney is an innovative character comic from Northern Ireland who is performing his latest inventively surreal show Welcome to Ballybeg as his character Daniel Duffy. Stranney will be performing at the Pleasance Courtyard throughout August.

1) What excites you most about the Edinburgh Festival?

The buzz of performing a good show is pretty exhilarating. It’s like a surfer chasing that perfect wave. Out of a full run, you would hope to have at least one of those experiences, and hopefully make all the times the show died on it’s ass worth it. But really what excites me is just the general festival atmosphere. There’s good camaraderie between all the comedians, and everyone is just wanting everyone to have a good time. I’m also looking forward to hanging out with my cousins who rather conveniently live in Edinburgh.

2) What is your first Edinburgh show about?

My show is in the form of an off the wall tourist board presentation for the fictional Northern Irish village of Ballybeg. I play a character called Daniel Duffy who has been entrusted to take the presentation over to Edinburgh. Inevitably the projector showing the promotional tourist footage keeps breaking down, and I fill in the gaps with stories about the silly and surreal characters that make up this backward and sheltered village. 

3) Does your comedy attract a certain type of audience?

I suppose my style of comedy is not conventional stand up and probably would be described as off-beat. It definitely wouldn’t work on a rowdy Friday night in a Jongleurs in Plymouth. And I’ve had my fair share of deaths in the typical club setting, but the good thing is there’s literally no swearing, or anything blue in my stuff so it’s technically for everyone. I don’t have a certain type of audience I don’t think, although I find slightly older people tend to like my stuff more. Some people absolutely love it while others sit there with a clenched jaw until I get off the stage. It really depends.

4) What is the worst experience you’ve had with Edinburgh accommodation?

I’m Irish and so I have approximately 3.6millions cousins worldwide and I’m incredibly lucky that out of that 3.6million, some of them live in Edinburgh. They kindly put me up each year and I move around between them as much as I can so to avoid becoming like a poo that won’t flush. My worst Edinburgh accommodation nightmare would be that they all suddenly decide to pack their bags and move out of Edinburgh, because then I would have to start selling my body to afford to rent a room for a month, and I want to avoid that for as long as possible

5) What is your most treasured memory of your comedy career so far?

Probably winning the New Act of the Year in 2015. There was around 500 people in the audience, so it was the biggest crowd I had ever performed to, and I had a bunch of friends and family who I had invited to see me. I was so nervous beforehand and I can’t really remember the set. I just remembered finishing it and being hit with what felt like a wall of laughter. I never had an experience like that before or since. It was amazing, and when I was announced as the winner, and all my friends jumped to their feet and the confetti canons went off on stage, it was genuinely unforgettable.

6) What show will you definitely be seeing at the festival this year?

Definitely going to see John Kearns. I love his stuff so much. If I was a mad billionaire, I’d hire him to just read me the phonebook, and I know I’d absolutely piss myself laughing.

7) What do you hope to gain from the Edinburgh Festival this year?

I’m hoping it would lead to a few more opportunities in comedy. Anything really at this stage, I’m not fussy. Just a few things that might help to pull myself back out of the debt I’ve put myself in. Even if it’s not comedy, even if someone said ‘Listen, liked your stuff. I’ve nothing to do with the comedy industry but I do run a successful double glazing company and I pay my salesmen incredibly handsomely, plus commission, and a free company car, what do you say?’

8) What do you imagine your last ever show will be about?

Well depending how August goes, it could be about an off the wall tourist board presentation for the fictional Northern Irish village of Ballybeg. But hopefully not…

BOOK TICKETS FOR MICHAEL STRANNEY: WELCOME TO BALLYBEG, AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2017

The Edinburgh Interviews 2017: Twayna Mayne

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Twayna Mayne is a stand up comedian hailed for being highly original with her downbeat comic delivery and honest, anecdotal material. This year Twayna will be performing her debut Edinburgh show, Black Girl, at the Pleasance Courtyard throughout August.

1) What excites you most about the Edinburgh Festival?

It’s the best place in the world to see lots of new theatre and comedy. I don’t get to see much, especially comedy, at any other time and so this is my chance to binge watch stuff. It’s the best place to see acts that you might not normally see on circuit.

© Steve Ullathorne

2) What is your first Edinburgh show about?

My debut hour ‘Black Girl’ is about me, it’s about growing up in south east London, holidaying in Devon and being adopted. I talk about identity, make references to popular culture and how black women are portrayed in popular culture.

3) Does your comedy attract a certain type of audience?

Not that I know of but if you like your comedy delivered in a pretty deadpan way with bit of absurdity thrown in, then I could be the comedian for you.

4) What is the worst experience you’ve had with Edinburgh accommodation?

I’ve been pretty lucky with accommodation every time I’ve been but saying that last year we lived above the Mosque Kitchen (curry house) in the centre of town. It was very close to the Pleasance Courtyard but every morning you were woken up to the smell of frying onions and spices. We were on the third floor and by the middle of the afternoon the flat had a general smell of spicy food about it.

5) What is your most treasured memory of your comedy career so far?

In 2014 Time Out named me as one of their ‘Ones to Watch’, it was around the same time I’d been in a few new act finals too. I appeared in the magazine and gave my mum a copy as late Mother’s Day present. 

6) What show will you definitely be seeing at the festival this year?  

I haven’t had a chance to go through the Festival brochure yet but this lot are on my list: Sophie Willan ‘Branded’, Joe Sutherland ‘Model/Actress’, Alasdair Beckett-King ‘The Alasdair Beckett-King Mysteries’ and Fern Brady ‘Suffer, Fools’.

7) What do you hope to gain from the Edinburgh Festival this year?

I’d like to come away with my mental health intact, a sell out run and some nice reviews. A mysterious and generous benefactor wouldn’t go amiss either.

8) What do you imagine your last ever show will be about?

I don’t have another idea for my next show, yet, so this could be my first and last show. I like the idea of being a very successful comedy one hit wonder.

BOOK TICKETS FOR TWAYNA MAYNE: BLACK GIRL, AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2017

The Edinburgh Interviews 2017: Paul Foot

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Paul Foot’s comedy is an energetic whirlwind from the offset. Extravagant but softly-spoken, brutal yet always endearing, this comedian’s latest show ‘Tis a Pity She’s a Piglet is one that you should make every effort not to miss. Foot will be performing at Underbelly Cowgate throughout August.

1) What excites you most about the Edinburgh Festival?

The Edinburgh Festival is the most shows I ever perform in a consecutive run of days. At no other point in my year do I get to perform for 25 nights in a row. Worra lot of excitement that is. And I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Paul, every performer has to have a day off from performing their show in Edinburgh. It’s festival policy baybayy.” Well, true, but on my day off (which, this year, is the Moonday 14th Augustus) I fly down to London to perform a Secret Show for my Connoisseurs. I can’t let my 25 day streak be ruined by stupid Edinburgh Fridge Festival red tape. I’m on a roll baybayyy!

2) What was your first Edinburgh show about?

My first ever Edinburgh Fridge Festival (so-called because it’s so friggin’ cold all the thyme) I did a show called ‘Simple Pleasures’. And it was about simple pleasures, like making your own compost, or watching Nicky Clegg lose his seat, or eating a peach. One must find joy in the small things in life you see, because the big things are all such a friggin’ mess.

© Paul Foot

3) Does your comedy attract a certain type of audience?

I wouldn’t say so. All sorts of people come to watch my comedy. People of all ages, from the age of approximately 7 all the way up until total decomposition. All the ages are welcome. And all the races, and all the genders. Also, all the various states of consciousnesses are welcome. Once a sleeping man attended. But he was very welcome because sometimes the sleeping mind is at its most imaginative and creative, and imaginative and creative people are often attracted to my comedy, so we can’t blame him really.

4) What is the worst experience you’ve had with Edinburgh accommodation?

Once I shared a tiny little 3-bedroom flat with 7 other comedians. It was a shambles. I slept in a cupboard like a vampire and there were strange women and men coming and going all times of the day and night. Imagine the queue for the bog in the morning. And imagine the state of the bogbrush!

5) What is your most treasured memory of your comedy career so far?

I remember some years ago I was doing a show in Edinburgh, and I came out on stage and the atmosphere was terrible. A real shocker. People looked miserable and no one even applauded at the start and I’m pretty sure there was a man sleeping. The first ten minutes of the show was really difficult, but slowly I managed to build some atmosphere and start to win people round, and by the end of the show it had turned into one of the best shows ever! Everyone had become hysterical. That was a very special show.

6) What show will you definitely be seeing at the festival this year?

I love Brian Gittins. He is a top quality comedian and I would very much like to see his show. Malcolm Head too. He does strange poetry and unusual humour.

7) What do you hope to gain from the Edinburgh Festival this year?

I hope to eat at least 14 pies. And also I’ll be writing my new show for next year, which will premier at the Edinburgh Festival 2018. I am very excited about the new humour.

8) What do you imagine your last ever show will be about?

I couldn’t possibly say. One cannot predict the future. Or maybe it will be about Judy Murray OBE. She is absolutely hilarious and will probably live for ever.

BOOK TICKETS FOR PAUL FOOT: ‘TIS A PITY SHE’S A PIGLET, AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2017

The Edinburgh Interviews 2017: Ross & Josh

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Ross Brierley and Josh Sadler make up the comic duo Ross & Josh, who are bringing their cheeky, alternative spin on the late night chat show format, The Not So Late Show, to this year’s Edinburgh festival. Ross & Josh will be performing at the Pleasance Dome throughout August.

1) What excites you most about the Edinburgh Festival?

Being amongst it. Being in it, around it, tasting it, watching it, going mad because of it. The creativity, the excitement, the despair, the buzz, the desperation, the joy, the utter size and scope of it.

2) What is your first Edinburgh show about?

It’s a spoof late night chat show where we interview weird pop culture icons and play stupid games and show silly adverts and ideas we’ve had and try and package them into an hour of high octane nonsense.

3) Does your comedy attract a certain type of audience?

I don’t think so. I think it appeals to all age groups, though a lot of the references are from the 90’s/early 00’s. But we get all sorts of people enjoying it as long as your willing to suspend your disbelief and get behind it all.

4) What is the worst experience you’ve had with Edinburgh accommodation?

Haven’t had one yet, so god knows what this year is going to be like. Aside from staying with some friends who were sharing 4 bedrooms between 8 of them and wondering whether I would ever be able to get the smell of everyone else out of my nostrils. But that was only for a weekend.

5) What is your most treasured memory of your comedy career so far?

Live, the first time we did our hour long show at Leicester Comedy Festival and lots of people came and it was almighty fun. But the impact that our video, UK Garage Horse Racing, has had has been the highlight. People have genuinely told us it’s the sketch they’ve watched the most out of anything ever which is weird.

6) What show will you definitely be seeing at the festival this year?

Joseph Morpurgo as he’s been hyped for years and I’ve never seen him. Tony Law because he’s a wonderful experience. And The Delightful Sausage because we feel like we’re in similar boats careering off course and I want to compare notes of the shipwreck.

7) What do you hope to gain from the Edinburgh Festival this year?

Experience, exposure and an idea of what direction to take. We’ve been beavering away on our own terms for a while now so it’s about time we released this baby into the wild. Which is unwise for an actual baby but fine for a metaphorical one.

8) What do you imagine your last ever show will be about?

Depending on who does it first, it will be about one of us murdering the other one and trying to get away with it.

BOOK TICKETS FOR THE NOT SO LATE SHOW WITH ROSS & JOSH AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2017

The Edinburgh Interviews 2017: Rachel Jackson

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© Steve Ullathorne

Rachel Jackson’s debut Edinburgh hour is described as ‘part biopic, part therapy,’ with the comic bringing her endearing openness along with hints of instability to effortlessly charm audiences. Jackson’s show, Bunny Boiler, will be at the Pleasance Courtyard, Bunker 1, throughout August.
1) What excites you most about the Edinburgh Festival?

The fact the craziest and most ambitious people in the industry all gather in the best city in the world for three weeks and absolutely destroy themselves doing what they love. And the fact it’s my hometown is the cherry on an already very exciting cake.

2) What is your first Edinburgh show about?

This is my debut and is a longer and more refined version of my first Edinburgh show which was called ‘Memoirs of a Bunny Boiler’. It’s about my outrageous love life and is me playing an extremely heightened version of myself. It’s like a mixture of comedy and theatre so hoping it will attract fans of both genre. It’s just nuts!

3) Does your comedy attract a certain type of audience?

Mental people! Just people who are really liberal and open minded are my best audience as my comedy is quite out there! But strangely relatable.

4) What is the worst experience you’ve had with Edinburgh accommodation?

Luckily for me I stay with my parents for the month of August as it’s where I grew up and they still live there! My worst nightmare would be having to share not just a room with someone but a bed. I’ve heard true Edinburgh Fringe horror stories and think some companies treat their talent disgracefully. I know people are trying to save money and keep to a budget but surely people would be happier each having an air bed/sleeping bag than having to literally share a bed with strangers! Like come on! It’s 2017!

5) What is your most treasured memory of your comedy career so far?

Having my own mini series with BBC Three. The coolest thing is they spotted me when my show was only 30 minutes and on at the Free Fringe. What a confidence boost that was I can tell you – especially in developing it into a full hour. It’s just cool to say you’ve been the lead in your own creation! I’ve also been nominated for a couple of best newcomer awards this year which has been great! 

6) What show will you definitely be seeing at the festival this year?

There’s a few such as Susan Riddell, Joanne McNally, Tiff Stevenson, Abi Roberts and Michael Redmond.

7) What do you hope to gain from the Edinburgh Festival this year?

A best newcomer nomination would be nice! Think folk are lying if they say it wouldn’t be an amazing feeling knowing people liked your work. But really and truly coming out not totally bankrupt is more important. I owe a lot of people money and it’s getting outrageous.

8) What do you imagine your last ever show will be about?

Come on what kind of depressing question is that to ask a comedy newcomer with their whole career ahead of them??! If I die during this Fringe I’m holding you personally responsible. 

BOOK TICKETS FOR RACHEL JACKSON: BUNNY BOILER, AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2017

The Edinburgh Interviews 2017: James Adomian

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James Adomian is a highly acclaimed American stand up comedian and impressionist whose new show, Lacking In Character, explores the implications of being a gay man in Hollywood. Adomian will be performing at the Gilded Balloon throughout August.

1) What excites you most about the Edinburgh Festival?

The castles and the tents and the parades of jesters from far and near! And I think there was a food truck that I will try to find again.

2) What is your first Edinburgh show about?

Well I did a short set over a long weekend a couple of years ago, so I guess this year will be my true Edinburgh debut. It’s called Lacking in Character and it’s a look at being gay in Hollywood, and also several other things that don’t fit the theme but I think are funny.

© Luke Fontana

3) Does your comedy attract a certain type of audience?

Winners. Upward focused winners who might be gay or have a gay brother or something, but odds are they’re some variety of straight (going on raw numbers). Also leftists. If I were Jeremy Corbyn I’d come to the show and probably get a solid chuckle out of it, even though I didn’t necessarily “get” every single American reference in the act.

4) What is the worst experience you’ve had with Edinburgh accommodation?

All I remember from my brief weekend run was the more or less constant sound of shattering bottles of booze on the cobblestones outside.

5) What is your most treasured memory of your comedy career so far?

The late legendary Don Rickles was backstage when I had my first TV gig on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson some years back. I was very, very nervous and as I walked off the set and there was Don Rickles who came up and hugged me and said I was terrific. Then he said I had a terrible name for showbiz and slapped me in the face, which in hindsight seems about right.

6) What show will you definitely be seeing at the festival this year?

I’m in some thick company! Definitely love Aditi Mittal, Sean Patton, Andy Daly, and maybe most of all Red Bastard!

7) What do you hope to gain from the Edinburgh Festival this year?

Short term, personal economic advantage.

8) What do you imagine your last ever show will be about?

Something about the universe and Alan Watts.

BOOK TICKETS FOR JAMES ADOMIAN: LACKING IN CHARACTER, AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2017