Chris Stokes discusses seagulls, baked potatoes and Walking in the Air.

Tell us about your Fringe show

It is a funny story about – among other things - love, crisis, recovery and a seagull that asks how you go about putting yourself back together when you hadn’t actually realised you were broken.

Best thing about the Fringe?

While you are ostensibly at the Fringe to work, the atmosphere combined with being away from home for a month means that you never really stop from feeling the holiday vibe, which only makes you enjoy the work.

Worst thing about the Fringe?

Because you can get so carried away with feeling the holiday vibe, you often take on a bit too much and try the impossible.

How many years have you been coming to the Fringe?

This is my third year with a solo show but I’ve been coming up and doing bits and pieces for eight years.

Favourite Fringe venue?

Each venue serves a purpose.  I adore my venue this year - The Attic at the Pleasance Courtyard.  I’ve done all of my solo shows there and it feels very much like home.

Best Fringe memory?

It should have been an insult but when I was doing the Pleasance Comedy Reserve in 2009, the other comics and I discovered afterwards that, during one show, the technician had doodled the four of us dying in various ways.  It was the best joke of the run.

Best heckle?

There was a man who had not been enjoying the show and I was telling a story where I had been dressed as Superman and, upon revealing that was how I had been dressed, the man just shook his head and said, under his breath, “For goodness sake...”

Craziest on stage experience?

I was hosting a company’s Christmas do in Exeter and it turns out that they had paid for burlesque and did not know that the burlesque had cancelled.  So I began to take my kit off and asked for some music, which was a mistake.  Because I then just stripped to my socks in complete silence, except for the song ‘Walking in the Air’ from The Snowman.

What’s on your rider?

I don’t have a rider, I bring my own oat milk.

How do you wind down after a show?

Too many beers.

What do you love about Scotland?

When a person is absolutely comfortable in their own skin and identity, they are usually the most beautiful.  Same with countries.

What do you like about Edinburgh?

It’s pretty to look at and the Baked Potato Shop.

What’s the most Scottish thing you’ve done?

Been in Scotland.

What kind of jokes do a Scottish crowd seem to respond to?

Funny ones, the same as everyone else.

Favourite joke?

One orange rolling down a hill says to another orange rolling down the hill, “So what’s your name and where do you come from?” and the other replies, “I’m not telling you that, you might come round and steal my washing.”

Chris Stokes will be at the Pleasance Courtyard on August 21-30.