My show about a traumatic event ... I'm a glutton for punishment

2 How many times/many years have you appeared at the Fringe?

This is my second full run. Some would say I am a glutton for punishment doing this, however I'm making up for lost time. What struck me last year, is how quickly the whole thing went by. It was like I was there and then I was home. Now a whole year has passed, I am coming up again, rolling the comedy boulder up the hill once more. However, there’s nothing else I would rather be doing right now.

3 What’s your most memorable moment from the Fringe?

Doing the first weekend last year. Having the crowd come up to me and say they really enjoyed it. The show worked. It was a relief as my last two previews in the run up to Edinburgh, were cancelled, due to no one turning up. Which in hindsight, was a given. Why would anyone want to see a preview of the guy who could barely make eye contact whilst trying to flyer them? So, when those first weekend shows landed, a wave of relief hit me. I could have easily gone home that weekend and have been content with my run. Obviously, I stayed. Those are the moments you hold on for, really. If I can again repeat that moment this year, I will be content. Anything more than that, will be a bonus.

4 What’s the worst thing about the Fringe?

 Trying to find healthy food late at night. Initially I ate a lot of fried food last year then spent a lot of time eating boots meal deals. I lost almost a stone and a half of weight. I have learnt to cook better this year though. Chicken and vegetables every day is the plan. Blisters. I packed some running shoes last year and had to wear them all the time. The cobbled streets are a pain when you are walking to your venue every day. This also adds up if your show involves a lot of physical movements and you have various injuries from exercising over the years.

I do formally apologise to the audience who attended the show last year, where I sat down for 80% of the hour. My legs and feet were just done on that day. Flyering. I have done flyering for so long now, but it's also so immediately painful. Just interrupting someone’s day and trying to sell yourself. People are at least nice about it in Edinburgh. I have had some bad interactions doing it in the past at other festivals. Ranging from swearing in my face, them immediately putting the flyer in the bin in front of me, to a rather quirky first year Uni student who stumped me with a ‘well…pitch it to me then??’. No surprise she didn’t turn up to the show, given that my response was essentially “urmmm, well, errrrm, you should, I have a…errmm… leafblower?’. I will find that Uni student one day and give her a comp ticket.

5 If you were not a performer what would you be doing?

Hard to say. My current job finances my performing arts career. If I didn’t have performing as an outlet, I wouldn’t do my current job. 

I do think about all the possible avenues I could have done, choices that perhaps myself in parallel universes did in fact take. 

For example, in 2011, during the recession and a period of unemployment…I walked into an Army Recruitment centre in Kent. I walked up to the reception there and said I was interested in being an officer. 

The officer there somehow took me seriously enough to give me an overview of the role and training. Then all of sudden, a bunch of boys walked in. There must have been around 10-12 of them. The officer greeted them in a relaxed, jovial way, akin to a friendly P.E. teacher.

Then he looked at me and said ‘these would be the people I would be in charge of’. I couldn’t believe it; they looked about 12 years old to me. They were 16-17 years old. To me, they really were, well, just boys. Boys with their whole lives ahead of them. Boys, that some part of me wanted to say, in my own arrogant way ‘go back to school, re-train, think about life beyond this!’. Boys I would be in warzones with. 

I suddenly realised there and then, that this wasn’t the place for me. Which probably wasn’t a surprise to the officer talking to me, given that he had corrected me three times by saying ‘it's pronounced Left-tenant’ when I had repeatedly said ‘Loo-tenant’.

I hastily said the words ‘let me think about’ it and left. Perhaps in a parallel universe I said, ‘sign me up!’. 

6 How do you prepare for a performance?

Zone out, remember to breathe, pace around and maintain good posture. 

7 Favourite thing about being in Edinburgh?

I actually quite liked chatting to shop staff around Edinburgh. For example, a McDonalds worker knew me by name last year. He would say ‘Hi Jaz, McChicken Sandwich on its own again?’. Which was nice of him, but also, depressing for me. 

Some shop assistants guessed I was here because of the Ed-Fringe, then asked me about my show. Some of them actually attended. People are friendly here and want to help.  

Same with my fellow acts. I met a lot of international people last year. I needed to socialise more, but my show was so physically knackering, I ended up going home and resting. Looking forward to meeting people in bars more this year. 

8 What’s the most Scottish thing you’ve ever done?

I had an Irn Bru and Haggis breakfast? Also, I have worn a kilt on some occasions. I have also been embarrassed on dates by a few Scottish women. Although in fairness, they weren’t wrong to do so. For example, in 2014, I learnt the hard way that not everyone wanted to talk about the Scottish Independence referendum.

9 Favourite Scottish food/drink?

I love a full Scottish breakfast, as well as Scottish porridge. Nothing like having that in the morning after not sleeping well the night before. It just sets you up perfectly for the day.

10 Sum up your show in three words

Absurdist Theatrical Stand-up

Jaz Mattu new comedy show Jaz Mattu Returns is at the Just The Tonic @ The Caves - Just Out of the Box @ 6.40pm for tickets go to www.edfringe.com