Gareth Waugh's debut solo show, Honetly?, is on at The Turret, Gilded Balloon Teviot during August. 

1. Tell us about your Fringe show

My show is called “Honestly?. It kind of comes from when audience members would come up after shows and be like “hey that story you told with the hot air balloon and the rapper, did that actually happen?”. In the show I have two microphones and one of  the microphones will only be true stories and the other is totally made up, the audience won’t know which is which until the end.

2. Best thing about the Fringe?

I love the Fringe. I’ve lived in Edinburgh my whole life and there is nowhere in the world I would rather be in August. I love taking in as many shows as I can and having a beer, catching up with friends from all over the world and having a beer, I love all the amazing pop up venues where you can sit outside and have a beer.

3. Worst thing about the Fringe?

The hangovers.

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

I remember first going to see a show in the Festival when I was about fourteen. I’ve been coming ever since so this will be my 13th year and my first year performing a solo show.

5. Favourite Fringe venue?

In terms of a venue that is only a Fringe venue then definitely Gilded Balloon, I remember seeing Late’ N’ Live in there when I was 16 and having an absolute blast, I still feel quite humbled to be doing a show in a venue where I’ve seen some of my favourite comedians. The Stand feels a bit like my comedy home its one of my favourite venues throughout the year.

6. Best Fringe memory?

The first ever Fringe show I saw was Frankie Boyle. I was 14-years-old and with three of my friends, we were quite far back in the queue and feeling a bit dejected. When we got into the room people were moving for the backseats and we were like “No way! Nobody has sat down the front” we ran straight down to get front and centre…he destroyed us…it was brilliant.

7. Best heckle?

I get heckled quite a bit but unfortunately most of them are never that memorable. I remember once in Aberdeen telling a story that involved a table and a sex act and a sweet, little old lady in the front row couldn’t stop laughing about it for ages afterwards. I said to her “that joke got you didn’t it, are you ok?” She then pointed to the table she was sat at and said “this table would be quite good for it." I died laughing. I’m still not 100% sure if she was hitting on me or not. 

8. Craziest on stage experience?

I did  a show called Viva La Shambles, it had a competition element to it and I lost. As a result my punishment was to don a dress, wig and make up and sing Gloria Gaynors “I Will Survive” to close the show. They also attached a Tens machine to my nipples to administer electric shocks throughout.

9. How do you wind down after a show?

If the gigs went well, I’ll probably hang out with some friends or go see some other shows.  If a gigs went bad I’ll probably just take of the make up, dress and wig and remove the tens machine.

10. What do you love about Scotland?

There’s no place like it. Scottish people have the best sense of humour and an ability to laugh at ourselves like nowhere else. I find it hard like most Scottish people to talk about the place, you almost feel you have to get poetic and mysterious when you do, talk about Glens and historical figures but its just dead good eh?

11. What do you like about Edinburgh?

Edinburgh is my home town, it’s my favourite city in the world. I like how for some reason no matter where you’re going in the city its somehow always up hill. I love going out in Edinburgh too, there’s something quite poetic about seeing people spewing on the Grassmarket with the castle in the background.

12. Favourite Scottish food/drink?

I am a proper stereotype. Haggis, Salmon, Whisky, Irn Bru give me it all and keep it coming. But deep down by real favourite Scottish delicacy is a deep fried pizza with salt n sauce. If you cut me I’d probably bleed chippy sauce….if my arteries weren’t clogged.

13 Sum up your show in three words

True or False.

Gareth Waugh's debut solo show, Honetly?, is on at The Turret, Gilded Balloon Teviot from August 2–28 (not 15th). time at the Fringe