Jenny Bede tells us about past ambitions and Scots...

Tell us about your Fringe show

It's my first full fringe show.  I've been releasing musical comedy songs online over the past few years and I've gradually been building up to this.  The show is a combination of everything you love and hate about pop music, whimsy and hard edged politics.  All bases covered.

How does it feel to be playing the Fringe for the first time?

I feel ready.  I've been to the fringe the past few years in various guises.  I did a musical in 2008, I was part of the NewsRevue cast in 2012, and since then have done double headers, so it feels like it's the right time to step up to the full solo show.

Best live act seen at Fringe?

I remember Wilson Dixon blowing my mind in 2008, as did Tim Key when I first saw him a few years later.  Though just as I became a fully-fledged, full time fan Dixon stopped performing; luckily I haven't cursed Key in a similar way. 

Best thing about the Fringe?

I love that no two days are the same.  Though the show is the same, you start each day with a clean slate and a new audience to win over.  The chances are you will either perform something good or see something good every day for a month and that's exciting. Also - City Restaurant.

Worst thing about the Fringe?

I never see enough.  I want to see ALL the shows, which I can't feasibly do, so instead of picking sensibly I tend to have a strop and get myself in a state and see barely anything.   I also get dreadful FOMO.  If I decide to be sensible for a night and stay in to rest my voice/get some sleep, I spend all evening thinking I'm missing the night that will go down in history as the BEST NIGHT OF THE FRINGE EVER 2015.

If you were not a performer/comedian what would you be doing?

Besides a brief stint where I wanted to be a lollipop lady (and archeologist between 9 and 3 when the kids were at school), this is all I've ever really wanted to do. 

Before I managed to do it full time I worked as the PA to brain surgeon for about 5 years.  It was depressing as hell in places, but you also see some amazing stuff. I loved the feeling I was being useful. 

What do your family think of your show?

Yeah they love it, but I could fart into various balloons for 50 minutes and they'd think it was the best thing they've ever seen. There is an entire song about my mother and her neuroses in which I do an impression of her and her main concern was, 'I DONT SOUND LIKE THAT, DO I??? DO I????  OH GOD'.

How do you combat pre-gig nerves?

Not always very well.  I've got them under control now but when I did musical theatre I suffered really badly.  I genuinely thought something awful was going to happen on stage.  I used to google stories nightmare stage stories, which didn't help.  I remember one about Puff Daddy, a white suit and an upset stomach that nearly sent me over the edge.

These days I try and go for a run on the morning of every show;  it focuses my mind, warms up my voice and uses up some excess energy up so I don't spend all day jittering.

Worst on stage experience?

My worst stage experiences have also been some of my favourites;  I'm a dreadful corpser.  Once I get the giggles I can't recover.  Luckily, it only happens when there is someone else to laugh with on stage, so it won't happen this month.  It's bad though; I remember singing a duet in a musical version of Dick Whittington in London about 8 years ago.  Something set me off and I couldn't sing or speak or even breathe, I was just silently trembling with tears pouring down my face.  The guy who was playing Dick managed to hold it together and sung the last half of the song on his own, which sounded really weird considering he had the harmony line.  I'm amazed I wasn't fired.  

How do you recover from a hefty heckle? Do you have a set of stock replies?

I've been lucky.  Because I'm relatively new as a stand up I haven't put myself in the position of doing any notoriously tricky comedy clubs.  My mother once shouted that I was a mistake.  There was context but still; Low blow Mum. 

What do you love about Scotland?

The people, and I'm not just saying that because I want to sell tickets to them.  I'm filming a TV show in Glasgow at the moment and the people up here make me really happy.  Strangers speak to each other in a friendly, non-creepy way, and that rarely happens in London. 

What do you like about Edinburgh?

I'm embarrassed to say I've never been to Edinburgh outside of the festival, so my vision might be slightly skewed.  I think one of the things I look forward to the most is that 'hops' smell... I think it's from a brewing factory somewhere.  Whatever it is, it smells like sugar puffs and nowhere else and I love it. 

Who’s your favourite Scottish comedian?

I saw Daniel Sloss for the first time at Altitude Festival in March, his set was amazing.  He also has the patience of a saint; whenever we skied/snowboarded together in a big group it was always him that hung back to make sure I hadn't fallen off the side of a mountain.

I'm also really excited to see Fern Brady's first hour this year. 

Jenny Bede’s debut comedy show ‘Don’t Look At Me’ will be at the Pleasance Courtyard from 6th – 30th August, for tickets go to www.edfringe.com