Pierre Novellie talks about his new Fringe show Pierre Novellie is Cool Peter and why he loves Dara O'Briain.
1 Tell us about your new show, Pierre Novellie is Cool Peter
It's a stand-up comedy show about being cool and being depressed.
2 What inspired the show?
A weird adolescence, mostly. That, and a desire to look at what makes certain people socially appealing and how depression helps or hinders that.
3 How is your new show different from last year's Pierre Novellie is Anxious Peter?
It's much more of a formed "show", by which I mean there is a more restrictive arc to it, thematically. It's also much more anecdotal and personal.
Read more: Mark Dolan on Life Hacks, Edinburgh pub crawls and surviving the Fringe
4 What does being cool mean to you?
Being at home with yourself - that kind of inner peace. Even if you have contempt for someone you can value that quality.
5 Do people place too much importance on being cool?
I think people place too much importance on public presentation - if I could just wear a sort of padding bag everyday I probably would... which is the opposite of the sort of social media posturing, selfie culture.
6 Were you surprised by the reaction to your show last year?
Sort of! I was very pleased at how much people enjoyed my routine about the Christianisation of Scandinavia.
7 Your new show deals with depression, how has this affected you?
It's made me fatter and less sociable to varying degrees and made various relationships far harder than they needed to be. Then again, it has made me very good at video games.
8 Do you think comedians should tackle difficult subjects like depression?
Only if they can make it funny - I don't think there's some abstract civic duty that comedians must perform. I think it's important to not NOT talk about it.
Read more: Mark Dolan on Life Hacks, Edinburgh pub crawls and surviving the Fringe
9 Why comedy?
To my mind it is the highest possible art form - the most visceral, the most misunderstood and the most powerful.
10 Who inspires you?
Dave Chappelle, Dara O'Briain, Gary Delaney, Hal Cruttenden and many more - either for inspiring me indirectly or for directly having a huge positive impact on how I work and my motivation.
11 What makes the Fringe special?
The sheer size of the beast, that and its history.
Read more: Mark Dolan on Life Hacks, Edinburgh pub crawls and surviving the Fringe
12 Any acts you’re hoping to catch at the Fringe?
Matt Ewins, Sean McLoughlin, Felicity Ward, Fern Brady, Fin Taylor.
Pierre Novellie is Cool Peter is at The Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance That) at 9.45pm every day until 28 August.
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