Performer: Olaf Falafel Photograph by: Derek Chickpeas Show: There’s no i in idiot Venue: Laughing Horse @ The Pear Tree Promoter: Indie Online: Box Office Facebook Website
Tell me about your Edinburgh show.
It’s got some great jokes, some bad jokes and some that probably aren’t even jokes. There’s a strong anti-racism undercurrent and an even stronger dolphin-related overcurrent.
Tell me about your first gig.
My first gig was genuinely cut short because I had to rush to hospital to witness my daughter being born.
Do you have any rituals before going on stage?
I’ll quite often have a wee – so checking that my flies are done up is a thing for me.
Tell me about your best and worst review.
I still really like the review where the Chortle chap called me an idiot. My worst review was for my children’s book Old MacDonald Heard A Parp (available at all good bookshops) Vicky Joyce on Amazon gave it 3 stars and said “Very witty but found it quite a chore to sing along too (sic).”
During this Edinburgh run, do you plan to read reviews of your show?
I won’t but I’ve got a trusted someone who does read them and they let me know what they’ve said if it’s helpful.
How do you feel about reviewers generally?
My dad always used to say, “Those who can, do – those who can’t, review” but then he also thought that when you combined the styles of Art Nouveau and Art Deco it was called Art Garfunkel so who knows?
In April 2018, YouTube comedian, Markus Meechan (aka Count Dankula) was fined £800 for training his girlfriend’s pug dog to do a Nazi salute with its paw, in response to the phrase ‘Gas the Jews’. Do you believe Meechan committed a criminal offence, and why?
I think the punishment should fit the crime. I think a Barbara Woodhouse-style animal trainer should programme Mr Dankula, through months of alternating treats and electric shocks, to chant ‘Oh Mother Theresa!’ (to the tune of Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes) every time he sees or reads bad news.
Are there any subjects that are not suitable for comedy?
I think jokes about the way Yoda speaks are out of order
Have you ever gone too far?
I once fed cheese to a man who was lactose intolerant as part of my debut hour show. The consequences probably weren’t felt fully till sometime after the show but I still think about that poor man and how he suffered for my art.
Looking back over your time as a comedian, tell me about the best gig of your career.
Best gig – probably doing a set in front of over 1,200 kids for World Book Day, doing my impression of Chewbacca having a particularly tricky poo was a highlight – they loved it!