Adam Rowe talks about Bittersweet Little Lies.

1 Tell us about your Fringe show

In a nutshell, it’s an autobiographical show that focusses on the role that lies and honesty have played in my life and everyone elses.

When I was ten-years-old, I told a very silly lie to get myself out of trouble without realising what I was actually saying and the connotations it would have. It drastically affected my whole life, so the show centralises around that lie in particular.

I’m really enjoying writing and testing the material for this show because it’s all so personal and is about some of the darker parts of my life, which is where I think the best comedy comes from. I think once it’s finished it’ll be the thing in my life I’m most proud of creating so far. So pleeaaaassseeee come and see it.

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

I’ve never been so excited for anything in my life (and I’ve been to Wales). I was at the Fringe back in 2014 hosting The Big Value Showcase and I loved it, but this year is just going to be something else.

Doing your debut show as a comedian is a massive moment in your career and it’s something I’ve been looking forward to for a few years now. I just hope I can do my story justice!

3 Best live act seen at Fringe?

Seann Walsh. I saw his show back in 2014 and it was just hilarious from start to finish. Despite his large success, I think Seann is actually still underrated as a comic - he’s one of the best we have at the moment in the UK. Also, despite the fact that I didn’t make it to the festival at all last year, I did see a preview of James Acaster’s show and that was just on another level completely, it was perfect. Hilarious for an hour and all tied together so well at the end - I’d never seen anything like it.

4 Best thing about the Fringe?

Performing every day for a month in front of people who really want to see comedy. It’s a massive opportunity to improve as a comic that you just do not get anywhere else in the world. I think you get so much better as an act if you do the Fringe properly and work hard up there. Also, the social side of it is fantastic - you get to see all of your colleagues every day for a whole month, some of whom you haven’t seen for a good couple of years. So that’s always really cool.

5 Worst thing about the Fringe?

Not being able to afford lovely and thick two-ply toilet roll.

It’s very expensive to put a show on up there and if you don’t take a good show up there you can end up wasting a lot of money. I think the fringe should be a lot more accessible to performers who don’t have a lot of money - I know for a fact that there’s fantastic comics on the circuit who would be up there every year if it was more affordable.

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

I’d probably be running a bar in Liverpool. I used to love the whole bar work scene and I actually miss it a lot at times. There’s one comedy club in Liverpool where I’ll occasionally jump on the bar and help out before the show and then the audience are always a little confused when they see me five minutes later telling them jokes on stage.

7 How do you combat pre-gig nerves?

I can’t, to be honest with you. I’ve been doing it long enough now that I very rarely get nervous, but when I do it really does come across in my performance because I just don’t know how to do anything about them. Having said that, I’m never nervous when I’m drunk, so maybe I should just start getting hammered before every big show I ever do. Maybe alcoholism is the best way to live your life.

8 Worst on stage experience?

I was about two months in and I entered a gong show competition, in which you can be kicked off the stage if you’re not funny enough. The day it fell on happened to be A-Level results day and I found out that I was not going to university, so I decided I wasn’t going to do material and that I’d just rant about my day. It did not go well and I got asked to leave the stage about three minutes in. What a horrid day that was.

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

If I’m having a good show and someone heckles then I’ll just spend a few minutes explaining to them why they’re wrong and that I’m actually very funny. It’s weird how much licence an audience will give you to be an arrogant a***hole if they’re enjoying what you do. However, if I’m having a bad show, a good heckle can be the final nail in the coffin. There’s no coming back from an audience member being funnier than you. The audience know I’m being paid to be funny, so if someone in the crowd does that better one night the audience have every right to think I’m terrible.

10 What do you love about Scotland?

The identity. I love any place where the people really know who they are and what they stand for. I suppose that comes from my upbringing as a working class Scouser. That’s how we like to think of ourselves down in Liverpool and I think the very same thing applies to Scotland and Newcastle too, actually.

11 What do you like about Edinburgh?

It keeps you fit. Everything is up a bloody hill, so the calories burn themselves right up!

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

Watched Braveheart on my own. This is a lie. I’ve not even seen it.

13 Who’s your favourite Scottish comedian?

Kevin Bridges. He’s the act who made me want to do stand-up and I think he’s absolutely phenomenal. Possibly the very best comedian currently touring and working in the UK.

14 Favourite joke?

I really love Bill Burr’s bit about the guy jumping out of a helicopter tour. I think it may be the best told piece of stand-up of all time. If you haven’t seen it, make sure you check it out - it’s on YouTube.

15 Favourite Scottish food/drink?

If I say haggis will more people come to my show? Do you guys even do anything other than haggis? Haggis and chips with a haggis Martini.

Adam Rowe will perform Bittersweet Little Lies at Just the Tonic at The Caves until August 29.