The subject of today’s Q&A is Hannah Pilkes

^{Picture: Arin Sang-urai}

What’s the best bit of advice you’ve been ever been given from a seasoned comic? 

Do what makes me laugh, first and foremost. If I get a kick out of it, it’s likely the audience will too, versus trying to perform what I think I’m ‘supposed’ to do. 

And what has proved to be the least useful? 

‘You don’t need to do a show a bunch to workshop it.’ At least in my experience, you really do! So much new discovery each time, and it helps this thing you’re sculpting feel less daunting. It’s important to me that by the time I’m presenting a finished show I really trust myself and the material. The only way I can surprise myself is if I trust myself. 

Is there one thing that keeps cropping up when people talk to you about Edinburgh in August?

Yes! ‘Wow, that’s a lot of shows in a row!’ Don’t remind me. Kidddingggg, I’m excited!

What’s your favourite word that begins in ‘e’? 

‘Eccentricities’: that’s a good one! And turns out, a real bitch to spell! ‘Ego’: I definitely explore it in my show and I love that it’s this tiny word that encapsulates so much. ‘Efteling’: proper noun but, my favourite theme park in the world; it’s in Holland and I grew up going to it. It’s super whimsical, weird, haunting.

Is there one act you absolutely HAVE to see in August? 

I hear that Patti Harrison is coming. I’m so excited to watch her, she’s a genius. Cat Cohen is coming back and should never be missed; she’s incredible. And I just want to see some amazing clowning, and all the solo shows I can! So awesome to see how differently we all approach telling stories. 

Picture yourself in early September: what would constitute a successful Fringe for you? 

Having connected with a new audience and feeling like the show has evolved with me throughout the run. Feeling like I never abandoned what I set out to say with the show and doing it with confidence even if (and when) I’m terrified sometimes. And ideally, I’ve seen like minimum 50 shows and all sorts of incredible artists and performers and am feeling mega-inspired.

My dad’s from Holland and is a human muppet

What percentage of your early stand-up performances is likely to appear in your Fringe debut? 

There’s material and characters I’ve been working out for years that make appearances, paired with material I wrote only a few months ago. It’s a good smattering of things. Definitely more new material than anything. 

Which other new comedian do you feel a special kinship with? And do you reckon it’s reciprocated? 

Maria Bamford. I think she has a vague idea of who I am, we follow each other on Instagram ha-ha. She’s incredibly inspiring and candid about mental health and finds a way to approach it in a deeply funny and unique way. Also Molly Shannon’s characters like Mary Katherine Gallagher. She doesn’t know who I am . . . yet! 

Which side of your family do you get your funny bones from? 

Definitely my dad’s side. He’s from Holland and is a human muppet. So dopey. I mean that as the highest compliment: my love of The Muppets is the closest thing I have to a religion! Just kidding, I’m Jewish, but Jim Henson creatures are definitely a close second.  

What will you do to keep fit and healthy (relatively speaking) during August? 

Drink as much water and honey lemon tea as I can! Protect that dang voice of mine so that I can keep charging on every day. That might mean calling it an early night whenever possible, but my FOMO will demand that I meet everyone and converse with everyone. So it’ll be a constant balancing act.

Which word of six letters or more will crop up the most in your Edinburgh show? 

Hmmm . . . six letters. OK, I’m counting letters on my fingers right now as I answer this like a true adult. Shockingly few words in my show are more than six letters. Maybe ‘normal’, ‘mortified’ or ‘cringe’. I guess you’ll have to come and see for yourself to find out! Boom!! Self-promotion.

Hannah Pilkes: A Woman On The Verge, Underbelly Bristo Square, 3–29 August, 7.15pm.