My Festival – Kieran Hodgson: 'I end the day sitting bolt upright in bed screaming silently'

Safe pair of hands (?)

What will we learn from your show that we didn’t know before?

Ooh, that's a funny one. Normally, my shows are hideously educational and have been described contemptuously as 'a lecture with jokes' or 'edutainment', but this year I set out not to teach anyone anything and try to be funny instead. Let's see how that goes.

Who or what was the biggest inspiration for your show?

I have come to hate everything I've ever done, and in particular the quite theatrical, comedy-play-style performances of recent shows. So instead, I looked to people who were bringing people big laughs in a very direct, no-fuss way, particularly with an American angle (oh yeah, I should have said, my show's about America, btw), and found myself rewatching the first-ever stand-up show I saw on video: Eddie Izzard's 'Dress To Kill', and listening to a lot of US comic Mike Birbiglia's albums. I then made a show that bears almost no resemblance to either of those acts.

What’s the best review you’ve ever had, and the worst?

My worst review was a lovely one-star from One4Review for my student sketch show in 2008. It began with the immortal line 'I usually hate student sketch shows', which made us all hope that we would be the exception, until the following sentence came along and it really was downhill from there.

Best review? Ah, no comedian remembers their good reviews, they don't count.

Who or what are you most excited about seeing this year?

David Elms is going to be the hottest of tickets, believe me. His improv show 'David Elms Describes A Room' is an extraordinary, joyful, utterly unique experience. Book now!

Who do you most like spending time with in Edinburgh?

My cat in Glasgow.

Tell us something about you that would surprise people.

I've never been to Stoke.

What are the best and worst things that have happened to you at a festival?

The best thing at a festival was probably a brief Fringe romance in 2008. Really cheered me up after that review and we managed the perfect ending by saying goodbye at sunrise on Grassmarket after the end-of-festival fireworks. Must write a novel about it one day. And there are no worst things because it's always a privilege to be at the Fringe.

What’s the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do at night?

The cat's usually ended up on my pillow during the night so I start the day by giving him a kiss. Then I end the day sitting bolt upright in bed screaming silently at all my fears and terrors. I'm a morning person.

Thanks for the interview! We’d like to buy you a drink. Where are we going and what are we drinking?

We're going to the Dagda Bar for a hauf and a hauf: half a pint of cask ale and a single of whatever their 'Malt Of The Month' is. A perfect Scottish wind-down after the emotional rollercoaster of this questionnaire.

Kieran Hodgson: Voice of America, Pleasance Courtyard, 9.30pm, until 24 August. He is also in conversation with Doon Mackichan at the Gilded Balloon, 14-16 August, 2.45pm.