Performer: Hans Photograph by: Matt Loxton Show: Hans: Like A German Venue: Assembly Rooms, The Blue Room Promoter: Civil Disobedience Online: Box Office Facebook Website
Tell me about your Edinburgh show.
It’s a life changing, life affirming, accordion pumping, tap dancing, glitter fest for the senses. Bring your boyfriend and sit him in the front row!
Tell me about your first gig.
My first gig was age three singing Kylie Minogue’s locomotion at my grandparents pub… The act hasn’t changed much since then.
Do you have any rituals before going on stage?
Just before we step out there, I usually look the band straight in the eyes and tell them that they are lucky to be working with me and that everyone is replaceable.
Tell me about your best and worst review.
I hope both my best and worst reviews are still to come!
During this Edinburgh run, do you plan to read reviews of your show?
I plan to read the good ones… Over and over and over again.
How do you feel about reviewers generally?
Some of my best friends are reviewers! Ok… Maybe not my BEST friends…
In these modern times, with the tweeting and Facebooking, everyone’s a reviewer, everyone’s a critic and everyone’s a judge. I’m judging people right now!
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?
Unfortunately, I don’t think you can pick and choose when you want or don’t want free speech. Having said that, I don’t think this is particularly funny… But does that make it illegal?
Are there any subjects that are not suitable for comedy?
I don’t think cabaret has limits but you have to think about the WAY in which you present certain subjects.
Have you ever gone too far?
Probably… but that’s half the fun and if you’re lucky, I could go too far every single night of this festival.
Looking back over your time as a comedian, tell me about the best gig of your career.
There have been so many including all my shows at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, but I have to say a recent highlight was my first audition at America’s Got Talent. I was so, so nervous, but the crowd was amazing and the judges loved it.