Michael Redmond: Mannequins, Fishmongers, Guacamole and Me ... and Other Things

So, tell us about the show

It is a brand new stand up show but is not just about the fact that I 'share' a flat with a female mannequin and a fishmonger, which is a fact, or about such diverse subjects as Osama Bin Ladens' Irish ancestry and Soup of the Day.

I'll also be showing a short film near the end of the show about the time I took the mannequin out to a restaurant for her birthday, to the bemusement of the restaurant staff. While I was sitting beside the mannequin (her name is Susan, by the way) in the restaurant, I overheard an elderly woman turn to her companion and say, "she seems a bit young for him." To which her companion replied, "She's a mannequin, I think it's just a joke." The elderly woman paused for a couple of seconds and then said, "I know, but even still!"

Is your relationship with the mannequin strictly platonic? (Sorry, this will cross everyone's mind at some point)

It's certainly platonic on my part but obviously I can't speak for Susan

Do you have a good recipe for guacamole?

Only ever use red onions. Having said that, the reference to guacamole in the show extends beyond the parameters of a mere recipe. It will reveal how guacamole can bridge cultural borders...intrigued?

What's your Fringe schedule? Are you going to be gigging as much as possible or are you planning on taking it easy?

I'm going to be gigging a hell of a lot. Apart from my daily show, I've already been booked to do a few gigs at the Ace Dome as part of the Chortle Fast Fringe and I'll also be performing at the notorious Late'n Live shows at the Gilded Balloon, and a couple of gigs at a late night venue called The Beehive.

One of the things you're known for, via Stewart Lee, is having a joke allegedly stolen by Joe Pasquale. How did you feel about that and the palaver afterwards?

I think Stewart did a fantastic job of lampooning Pasquale in the routine he performed about it. In this particular case, Pasquale made a fool of himself because I'd already performed the gag on television on Clive Andersons' Talk Show on Channel 4.

But I have become aware from speaking to other comedians on the circuit of a growing culture of " TV comedians" ripping off gags from circuit comedians and I think this is disgraceful. One comedian told me recently of when he was accused by an audience member of stealing his own gag which some comedian on TV had ripped off from him.

A little sequel to the Joe Pasquale story. A couple of years after Stewart highlighted the whole business, I was watching a daytime chat show presented by Des O'Connor. I only came to the show as he was halfway interviewing a young man, 15 or 16 years old, who wanted to become a comedian. Des O'Connor asked him to tell a joke.He did, and he told one of my jokes. Guess the identity of the young man?....Yes! He was Joe Pasquale's son.

How do you think it's going to be, moving from The Sunday Service at The Stand to doing this kind of solo show?

To be honest, it won't be that strange. I did a solo show at the Fringe in 2010 and I still perform longer sets in Clubs around the Country. And I'll still be at the helm of the Sunday Service during the Fringe as my show at the Gilded Balloon is on at 17.15, so I'll be whizzing back to Glasgow every Sunday.

What's your favourite joke?

One of Simon Munnery's. I think it was in response to a heckler when he said in a mock, aggressive way, "I could have been a boxer like my father....who also could have been a boxer".

Who else are you planning on seeing in the Fringe?

Simon Munnery, Seymour Mace and Gavin Webster, who is hugely under-rated and the victim of his hilarious 'Panda' routine being ripped off on Stand Up For The Week.