Photography by Mark Hayman
So, a man walks into a bar…
RUSSELL KANE, 31
Favourite heckle “There was one guy who was drunk and shouting things out. After a while it was just annoying so I said to him: ‘Why don’t you go outside and finish evolving? And while you’re doing that someone can give you that chromosome you’ve got missing.’”
Best audience “Home gigs are always easier so I love playing in Essex.”
Comedy heroes “I admire Daniel Kitson’s brilliance, and I love Lee Mack, who I think just has funny bones.”
*Russell Kane: Posturing Delivery is at The Assembly Rooms Ballroom, Edinburgh until August 24, then touring nationwide (Russellkane.co.uk).
Knock, knock…
Tell us a joke “An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman all walk into a pub. That may sound like a joke to you, but to me as a publican that means there’s going to be a fight in 15 minutes.”
Are you often mistaken for your alter ego? “All the time. It happened when I was on the way to the butchers today. A bloke said: ‘Alright guv, pour us a pint.’”
*Al Murray The Pub Landlord’s The Only Way Is Epic is at Spiegeltent Teatro, Assembly George Square, Edinburgh, until August 25 then touring nationwide from September (Thepublandlord.co.uk).
JASON BYRNE, 40
Best heckle “It’s not a heckle, but there were two guys who got up to go to the toilet in the middle of my show. While they were gone I got their row to all move down two seats so that when they came back they were very confused. Obviously the audience were howling at these two, but because I’d carried on with the show they thought the audience were laughing at what was happening on stage. It was very funny.”
Most memorable moment on stage “One of my best friends, PJ Gallagher, came on stage behind me once totally naked with his willy tucked in between his legs, sweeping the floor with a brush. I didn’t realise for a while what the audience were laughing at…”
*Jason Byrne is touring the UK from September 6 and his DVD Cirque du Byrne is out November 19 (Jasonbyrne.ie).
Doctor, doctor…
Best heckle “I did a little gig in Camden, where the audience was slightly edgy. It was quite near the knuckle. There was a family in with two kids aged about 11 and 15. Halfway through, someone shouted out: ‘I want my money back!’ And one of the boys shouted out: ‘I want my innocence back!’ Brilliant.”
Favourite audience “Birmingham is great. Glasgow is always good as well.”
One to watch “Joe Lycett is great, very good. He’s already got a good Twitter following – keep an eye on him.”
*Rob Deering – The One is at Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, until August 27 (Edfringe.com).
LUCY PORTER, 39
Best heckle “I did a private gig at a 50th birthday once where there was so much Botox no one could move their faces. I died, it was awful. After me was a mind-reading act and as I left the stage, they said: ‘You don’t wanna know what they’re thinking.’ That was funny.”
Favourite audience “Bristol, Norwich and Hull. Places that are a little bit awkward to get to are always the best.”
Comedy heroes “Jo Brand, Ronnie Corbett and Sean Hughes.”
*Lucy Porter – People Person is at The Stand Comedy Club, Edinburgh, until August 26 (Edfringe.com).
How many comedians does it take to change a light bulb?
JARRED CHRISTMAS, 32
Best heckle “It was in Croydon, there were about 150 people in and it was clear within about five minutes that it wasn’t happening. This guy shouted out: ‘You have ruined my birthday.’ And to be fair, I probably had.”
Comedy heroes “Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy and Eddie Izzard. There’s an American comic, Rob Delaney, who’s massive on Twitter and his run in London this autumn is sold out. I’d like to see him. And if Louis C.K. came back over I’d consider selling my firstborn to see him. I’m joking. Not my firstborn, but maybe my second.”
*Jarred Christmas: Let’s Go MoFo is at The Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh, until August 26 (Edfringe.com).
SEAN HUGHES, 46
Best heckle “It was in Glasgow talking about having sex in your 40s, and how there’s a good chance you’ll stop if you hear the binmen outside. You can have sex any time, but the binmen only come once a week. This guy shouted out, really angrily: ‘I think you’ll find it’s once a fortnight.’”
Favourite audience “I love the middle-aged, middle-class people who seem to like me because they find me a bit naughty. I was once rude to a 15 year old in the audience. I said: ‘Shouldn’t you be f*****g someone against a skip rather than at a stand-up show?’ and the audience was howling.”
Comedy heroes “Richard Pryor and Stewart Lee.”
*Sean Hughes – Life Becomes Noises is at Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, and Sean Hughes Stands Up is at The Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh, until August 26. Touring from October 2 (Edfringe.com).
PATRICK MONAHAN, 36
Best heckle “There aren’t many clever ones. Generally it’s drunken nonsense from a couple of blokes. Quite often they’ll come up to you at the end and say how much they enjoyed the show and how they ‘really helped me along.’ Er, how?! How did you help? You nearly sabotaged the whole gig – are you crazy?”
Comedy heroes “Lee Evans, Peter Kay, who is just naturally funny, and I think Tommy Tiernan is amazing.”
*Patrick Monahan is at The Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh, until August 26 (Patrickmonahan.co.uk).
Waiter, waiter…
ANDI OSHO, 39
Favourite audience “Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. Scottish crowds are always great.”
Comedy heroes “Growing up, I loved the American comedians like Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor. From over here it was Victoria Wood, Jasper Carrott and Gina Yashere, who I’m delighted to now have as a friend. I adore Micky Flanagan and his slightly camp East-End charm. I just love watching people at the top of their game.”
*Andi Osho: All The Single Ladies is touring September 27-November 25 (Andiosho.co.uk).
RUFUS HOUND, 33
Comedy heroes “Nick Doody is an incredible joke writer, and Stewart Lee is amazing. Growing up it was Bill Hicks, Billy Connolly, Victoria Wood and Eddie Izzard. I also loved Derek and Clive, Sean Hughes, Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson.”
On stand-up “I’m not doing it any more because I’m massively turned on by acting, instead. The Wedding Video [directed by Calendar Girls’ Nigel Cole and also starring Robert Webb and Miriam Margolyes] is something I’m incredibly proud of.”
*The Wedding Video (15) is in cinemas on Friday.
Why did the chicken cross the road?
DOM JOLY, 44
Best heckle “I’m not sure if this is a heckle, or more of a threat, but I was on tour in Berwick-upon-Tweed last year and someone said: ‘I’ve got a gun.’ It was weird and quite worrying. I said: ‘I hope you’re joking.’ I had said something rude about Berwick- upon-Tweed before I went on stage and wondered if it could have upset someone that much.”
Favourite joke “I hate jokes, I’m crap at telling them and feel awkward listening to them. The only one I can think of is: ‘Why did the chicken cross the road?’ But we’re doing that already, aren’t we?”
How does it feel being dressed up as a chicken? “Quite pleasant. I think it’s supposed to be humiliating, but I’ve done a lot worse. I’ve dressed as a penis and a turd!”
*Dom Joly is celebrating 10 years of loyalty programme Nectar. Go to Nectar.com.
What d’you call a man with… on his head?
CHRIS RAMSEY, 26
Favourite audience “I love the north-east because I’m from South Shields and like a home crowd. But it’s the social class of an audience that matters – the working class don’t take themselves too seriously and they make the best crowds.”
Comedy heroes “Billy Connolly and Lee Evans.”
Best heckle “It’s not a heckle, but there was this guy in the front row once who looked like he was texting. I asked him what he was doing and it turns out he was watching another comedian on YouTube. During my show. Brilliant! I think he’d planned it.”
*Chris Ramsey Feeling Lucky is at Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, until August 26 (Chrisramseycomedy.com).
RHYS DARBY, 38
Best heckle “A drunk man told me to tell him a joke. I told him to buy himself a joke book. That shut him up.”
Comedy heroes “I like actors more than stand-ups, so physical storytellers like Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Steve Martin, Jim Carrey and Rowan Atkinson. And I was obsessed with Monty Python when I was growing up.”
On Flight Of The Conchords “We’ve talked about making a movie – it’s just a matter of when.”
*Rhys Darby: This Way To Spaceship is at Pleasance Grand, Edinburgh, until August 27 (Boundandgaggedcomedy.com).
JEFF LEACH, 28
Comedy heroes “Richard Pryor, Bill Hicks and Sam Kinison. All no longer with us, sadly. Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle, too. Louis C.K. – as a single man, as a father, as a man who has travelled from adolescence to older guy, he is the most honest comedian you could see. It’s another level of honesty.”
*Jeff Leach: Boyfriend Experience is at The Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh, until August 27 (Edfringe.com). Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffleach.
NICK HELM, 31
Best heckle “Once at an Al Murray gig there was an irate German in the audience. He shouted out: ‘Why don’t you pick on the Brits for a change?’ Al replied sarcastically: ‘Maybe, in a round about way, that’s what I’ve been doing all night.’ I just think: ‘Come on! People have paid for their tickets and for a babysitter – they haven’t paid to hear the heckler.”
Comedy heroes “When I was far too young, me and my dad used to watch Woody Allen films. I loved Steve Martin, Lee Evans, Jo Brand and Jack Dee. I just saw him last week at Latitude festival and he’s still really great.”
Best gag [Nick won the award for funniest gag at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe.] “I needed a password eight characters long. So I picked Snow White And The Seven Dwarves.”
*Nick Helm: This Means War! is at the Pleasance Queen Dome, Edinburgh, until August 27 (Edfringe.com).
