Written by: David Reed
Published: Wednesday 17th August 2011

We caught up with David Reed to find out what, apart from his show, he's been doing in Edinburgh...

Working: I haven't stopped working on my show since I got here. That's not to say I lack confidence in it. I don't. I'm not in a blind panic thinking "I can't do jokes about horses! They're not trendy! That's it, I'm starting from scratch!!!" But you learn so much from every audience that I do feel the need to keep tweaking and revising. It's very easy to be distracted into thinking because you're away from home, surrounded by your friends and the audiences are here for a holiday that you are too.

Sleeping: Malcolm Gladwell says that to become an expert in a field takes 10,000 hours of practice. I'm getting pretty close to that with sleeping. Not wishing to sound immodest, but I'm getting exceedingly good at it. I once fell asleep underwater! I plan to undertake some hefty endurance sleeps this August to bump up my practice total and maybe get known as the David Beckham of snooze.

Being Quiet: A large part of my family are from Edinburgh, so I'm staying with a cousin who has recently graduated in medicine (congrats Natalie!) and now started working nights. This means that I have to tip-toe around during the day as she is sleeping. It's a bit surreal. Like I'm stealing gold from a dragon. Or at least quietly brushing my teeth in his bathroom. But, it does make the flat strangely calm.

Having a Lovely Time: Edinburgh is my favourite city in the world. So what if I haven't been travelling much? It still counts! I find it a real joy just to walk around, made all the better by so many friendly people all being here just to have a good time. Cloying sentiment aside, the festival is a blast.

David Reed performs 'Shamblehouse' at the Pleasance Courtyard at 8:30pm. Listing