GICF '12 PREVIEW: Abie Philbin Bowman 'Pope Benedict: Bond Villain'

Read The Skinny's 4* review of this show here

Most important question first: Tell us about your show.

It's called 'Pope Benedict: Bond Villain'. To my mind, the Pope is the perfect Bond Baddie. He has it all: a creepy German accent, a priceless art collection, even Diplomatic Immunity. He's real name sounds evil: 'Cardinal Ratzinger'. And he's the head of a sinister organisation, hell-bent on World Domination.

I'm trying to work out why Catholic Europe (Ireland, Spain & Italy) is being bailed out by Protestant Europe (Germany, the UK & Scandanavia)? Is the Vatican plotting to impoverish us, so we return to God? And why has James Bond never been sent undercover in Northern Ireland? You Won't Be Told Twice...

What's going to be unique about this performance of your show?

Glaswegians have their own take on the Catholic/Protestant divide. My show explores how Catholic and Protestant cultures differ in their approach to money and authority. But I know Glasgow has a pretty healthy tradition of heckling, so I'm expecting a lively debate. Being Irish, I identify more with the Catholic side, but I also want to slag it off more, because I've seen it from the inside. I also talk about watching last year's Royal Wedding in Belfast, in a Loyalist bar on the Shankill Road. They don't really get that reference in Kent but I think Glasgow audiences will know where I'm coming from.

Due to a lawsuit, you're forced to rename your show. What do you call it?

Supernatural Injunction: Sued by the Pope

What inspires you, other than comedy itself?

People struggling to make the world a kinder place to live. I'm really interested in civil disobedience and non-violent political activism. When I was 20, I wanted my life to be halfway between that of my two heroes, Mahatma Gandhi and Bob Geldof. I'm a bit older now and I've realised that halfway between Gandhi and Geldof is Gandalf.

Who would get your vote as president of an independent Scotland?

Armando Iannucci. With Malcolm Tucker/Peter Capaldi as his Ambassador in London.

What's your favourite comedy festival in the world?

The Edinburgh Fringe. Although it's also my least favourite comedy Festival in the world. A month of Edinburgh tends to do that to you.

Who else are you going to see during the Glasgow Festival?

Scotland thrashing Italy, Wales beating France and Ireland demolishing England at Twickenham. I plan to celebrate St Patrick's Day with a Celtic clean sweep of the Six Nations.

Regional current affairs. Fill in the blank space: RANGERS _____ LOL

RANGERS kind of undermines my entire premise about Protestant culture having a more realistic approach to money, something I imagine a heckler will point out to me in the first five minutes LOL

Twitter or Facebook?

Facebook is where you lie to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers. (I'm @AbiePB)

Would you like to make a disparaging comment about the Edinburgh Fringe in order to appeal to the Glasgow public? (Don't worry, nobody will remember this by August)

Edinburgh is the most extraordinary comedy festival in the world. But it's bankrolled on the broken dreams of performers. My venue tech said to me one year "going to Edinburgh to get spotted as a comedian, is like going to a warzone to get spotted as a serial killer". Every year there are 800 white guys in their 20s and 30s, with facial hair, talking for an hour about their life. There's only so much that anyone can watch before going insane.

Abie interviews the KKK on the night of Obama's election victory