The ventriloquist whose career began after being gifted a pink sock puppet as a child in West Lothian

Max Fulham, who grew up in Linlithgow, said the gift from his parents had sparked a desire to perform with puppets.

He said: “I've always loved entertaining, and then my parents got me a puppet for Christmas when I was nine years old. It was just a toy, they weren't buying it, going, ‘child make a career’.

“But I quickly became obsessed with it. It was a little pink sock puppet and it became my companion. There was a little worn patch of carpet in front of my bedroom mirror where I used to spend a lot of time just practicing with the puppet in the mirror, trying not to move my mouth.”

In Full of Ham, Mr Fulham, 25, throws his voice into the chaotic inner monologues and unexpected personalities of everyday objects - rather than only traditional puppets.

He said: “I'm incredibly grateful that it was a childhood hobby, and I did it through play, because I think it is a skill that takes a long time to practice, and I probably wouldn't have the patience to learn now.”

He added: “A childhood lack of inhibitions that is just the best thing ever, where a child can go, ‘Oh, I'll do that’. And then do it. Rather than think an adult coming to it would feel a bit of an idiot with a puppet on their hand. But it just carried on for me, which I'm very grateful for.”

The show blends sharp stand-up, surreal character work, and offbeat ventriloquism, featuring a cast of characters, including a talking slice of Billy Bear ham, a malfunctioning self-checkout machine and the audience itself.

He remembers visiting the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as a child. His show this year is at the Cellar at Pleasance Courtyard.

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“I had trips to the Fringe every summer, sitting on the Royal Mile on a picnic blanket, watching street show after street show,” he said. “That's where I first saw variety. I also think it's where I caught the bug, in many ways, watching a group of strangers be united into an audience, who didn't expect to necessarily stop and see a show.

“Then I went with my dad, watching stand ups in the evening, which I was probably below the age guideline for. But that was my introduction to the Fringe, so it's hugely significant to me. I've been to the Fringe a lot since then to watch stuff, and it's quite ridiculous to think I'm going to be doing it this year.”

He added: “I’m living proof that if you give a child a puppet for Christmas, you’ll never get a moment’s peace again. Now, I’m a grown man talking to slices of reconstituted ham.”