Welsh comic Elis James was one of the sleeper successes of the Edinburgh Fringe 2009. Having slipped under the radar in the lead up, The Most Cautious Little Boy in Wales soon saw Elis likened to fellow Welshman Rhod Gilbert and getting picked to tour Australia with Best of the Edinburgh Fest soon after.

Elis, a regular on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio One Wales, is regularly described as the 'face of new Welsh comedy'. His new Fringe show, Daytripper, promises to further propel him towards the big time over the coming months.

"The show is about my obsessive side," he told us. "And it really is one for fans of British place names. That makes it sound rubbish, so, er... explosions, sex, and knife fights."

Given that his career has continued on an upward trajectory in recent times, what has been the 29 year-old's highlight so far?

"The first day after I quit my old job and I realised I could pay my rent through traveling to places to make strangers laugh," was his answer. "I also did three months of gigs in Australia at the start of the year which was great, as I never would have gone to Australia otherwise, being quite lazy and poor."

"The show I was part of was called Best of The Edinburgh Fest which terrified me, although not as much as the list of people who'd done it in previous years. Simon Pegg and Dylan Moran were the two that made me think there must have been some mistake!"

Given the vast number of shows on offer, can he help audiences narrow down their itinerary by recommending any other comedians?

"I do love Daniel Kitson, Rhod Gilbert, Jon Richardson, Lloyd Langford, Mike Wozniak, Henry Paker, Tom Craine, Nat Luurtsema, John Robins and Jason Cook. And Carey Marx. Oh God, there's loads. Loads I tell you!"

Despite all of his successes, the Edinburgh Fringe is a pressured stable in which many an act buckles under the critical and financial hardships it can bring. Has he ever considered giving it all up?

"If I couldn't earn my living through comedy I'd be dead by mid-afternoon," he says. "I unfortunately can't do anything else. And I'm totally serious! I used to have a real job, which now feels like a previous life. A previous life where I used to contribute something to society (other than tax; I pay tax)."

Elis also had some practical advice to the other performers scheduled in for the Fringe: "I scream 'YOU ARE SUPERHUMAN, YOU CAN DO THIS' at myself in the mirror," he explains. "Then I eat a bacon sandwich and drink a Lucozade, before more screaming."

So he's not planning to leave us any time soon, and given that his show costs a mere fiver as part of the Five Pound Fringe, we'd most likely suggest Fringe-goers watch one of the most exciting and dynamic comics out there.

"You'll probably quite enjoy it," he adds. "Although, to be brutally honest, there will be far better shows on than mine at 7:40. And I suppose it's that honesty that some people find quite endearing."

Elis James Daytripper is on 5th-18th and 20th-29th August Downstairs at the Tron (venue #51). To book call 0131 226 0000 or vist www.edfringe.com