Jess Robinson’s new show ‘Unravelled!’ is at the Underbelly – Purple Cow for the month of August.

1 Tell us about your Fringe show

 I’m back for my fourth year. My new show Jess Robinson: Unravelled is feel good, huge fun and sometimes a little bit off the wall. I'm an impressionist so expect familiar celebrity speaking and singing voices as you've never heard them before. I'm a bit like a malfunctioning juke-box. My band and I love pairing hit songs with singers who'd never usually cover them. Julie Andrews singing All About That Bass is a classic. We've had Edith Piaf covering Bonjovi, Katherine Jenkins singing Queen and Nicki Minaj rapping nursery rhymes.

This new show is my best yet. I'm back with my incredible live band who I adore. They're my best mates and much more involved in this year’s show. I'm at the primetime of 7pm in the enormous upside-down purple cow. To reflect this, I've geared my show towards more of a family audience. It feels like a Saturday night entertainment show on TV, with games, big laughs, brilliant music, plenty of impressions of course, and a good deal of audience involvement. It's pure escapism. NO POLITICS. Just fun, warmth, laughs and music. It's a celebratory show and I'm so excited.

2 Best thing about the Fringe?

The best (and worst) performers descend every year from all corners of the globe to present their weird and wonderful and hilarious and beautiful shows. There’s a real camaraderie between all the acts. Every year feels like a reunion of old friends. Every year I’m up I form a new bond with a fellow comedian or performer. It’s such a huge opportunity to make new friends, new fans, network, get seen by all industry professionals, try out material and hone your skills. You can see things here that you scarcely thought possible. It’s a proper cultural melting pot of comedy and theatre. There’s no other festival bigger or better.

3 Worst thing about the Fringe?

I think the fringe has got so much bigger over the years and that’s both a plus and a minus. Sometimes it feels so saturated with shows and finding a good one can be a bit hit and miss. But that’s also the fun of it. Also it’s INCREDIBLY expensive to put on a show. Despite selling out my run last year to 300 people a night, I still came home at the end owed £4000.

However it’s wonderful to have built up such a loyal audience. Edinburgh encourages me to push myself and to try to be more creative, more groundbreaking, more impressive than the year before. I always want my audiences to see me doing something new. There really is no other festival like it.

4 How many years have you been coming to the Fringe?

As a punter since I was a kid with my mum and dad. As a performer since 2005. And as an act in my own right, 4 years now.

5 Favourite Fringe venue?

I have to say the big upside-down purple cow (Udderbelly)

6 Best Fringe memory?

My best fringe memory is getting a standing ovation after my first show. Especially as met heroes (and now friends) Rory Bremner and Alistair McGowan were in the audience

7 Best heckle?

A couple of weeks ago I was trying out my new show. My 101 year old grandma was sat next to mum in the front row.  For ages the tech guy couldn't understand which speaker the wailing, squealing feedback was coming from until we all realised it grandma's hearing aids ringing.  Every time I did a new voice she'd lean over to mum and say 'WHO's THAT?' - (Not really what an impressionist wants to hear). My mum would shout back things like 'Niki Minaj - she's a modern rapper I think', or 'Judy Garland - you like her - remember from THE WIZARD OF OZ?... This went on throughout the show until grandma finally shouted... "But who IS that?" Mother responded, "OH! It's Jessie, mum. Your GRAND DAUGHTER". To which grandma replied "Oh... LOAD OF RUBBISH!”

8 Craziest on stage experience?

Oooh good question… It has to be Britain's Got Talent. I’ve never been so nervous in my life. It really was like a weird dream. BGT has opened doors to so many exciting TV, radio and live shows. The opportunity to show fifteen million viewers even just two minutes of my act has been invaluable. I was a terrifying and stressful experience. I've grown balls of steel and compared to that, everything feels like a breeze. But nothing beats the warm Edinburgh Festival audiences. Now I get to bring my best show yet to an even bigger venue with my brilliant band. Edinburgh feels like home and I’m doing what I love. 

9 How do you wind down after a show?

I like to have a glass of red wine, muck about with my band and then go and see someone else's show!

10 What do you love about Scotland?

The people. I have a lot of family in Scotland - a brother, nieces and cousins, so it’s really lovely to come back and visit whenever I can. I also love the landscape.

11 What do you like about Edinburgh?

The audiences. I’ve never know such loyalty, warmth and enthusiasm. Plus the city myself is probably my favourite city in the world. There’s always something cultural or artistic going on. There are wonderful restaurants, shopping and bars. There are new things to discover every time I visit. It’s very special to me as it’s full of fond memories of festivals, friends and family. To me Edinburgh means good times, talent, creativity, fun and laughter.

12 Favourite Scottish food/drink?

Smoked salmon, Oysters and any fresh seafood. I love Haggis too.

13 Sum up your show in three words

Bubble of joy.

Jess Robinson’s new show ‘Unravelled!’ is at the Underbelly – Purple Cow for the month of August for tickets go to www.edringe.com