BBC Radio New Comedy Award finalist Hari Sriskantha talks the Fringe, the brutal loneliness of flyering, and the time he met Tim Vine.

1. Tell us about your career so far. Are you happy with where you're at?

My first gig was at a student arts festival in 2009. I may have slightly overestimated my stand-up abilities, by attempting a 30-minute set of completely untested material. Several people walked out, and two of the remaining audience members fell asleep. (In fairness, it was a really warm day...) But I ended up with a good 47 seconds of usable jokes, so it wasn't a complete loss.

I started gigging properly in 2011, with sets of a more appropriate length. Since then, I've been a finalist in the 2012 Chortle Student Comedy Awards and the 2014 BBC Radio New Comedy Award, which I like to mention as frequently as possible to deal with my imposter syndrome. And I am happy with where I'm at, thanks for asking! :)

2. Describe your show in exactly 23 words.

Like Breath on a Mirror is a stand-up show about immortality, and humankind's never-ending quest to live forever. So the usual, light-hearted stuff.

3. Why are you putting yourself through this famously stressful experience?

Because it's fun! It's like what the writer Gretchen Rubin calls 'fog happiness'. Sure, if you look at all the individual moments, it seems stressful and unpleasant - walking through large crowds, handing out flyers, trying to avoid other acts who are handing out flyers* - but it's definitely enjoyable overall. Like throwing a dinner party or having children.

* I don't really do this, because I know how nice it feels when someone takes your flyer. But it's statistically unlikely that I'll have time to see their show - especially given my answer to Question 7 - so it's a kind gesture built on lies. Like throwing a dinner party or having children.

4. Any cunning plans to get more punters in?

Steal all the good ideas in previous answers to this question.

5. How much money do you think you'll lose/make this year?

I'm quietly hoping I'll break even. (Although not so quietly after that sentence.)

6. What's your weirdest past Fringe experience?

I was waiting for someone in George Square Gardens, when Tim Vine walked past. Without thinking, I said 'Hi, Tim!' and shook his hand as if I knew him. He replied 'Hello!' but then I panicked and said: 'Oh, we don't actually know each other. I don't know why I just did that.' Luckily, he was really friendly about it, and said something that made me laugh (which I have since forgotten). Then he walked off, and we continued with our separate lives.

I know that's not really 'weird', but I just wanted to mention that I've touched Tim Vine.

7. What other shows are you hoping to see?

Argh... I still haven't looked through the Fringe programme! In fact, I'll do that now. In reverse alphabetical order (because I'm against alphabetism): Tom Stade, Thünderbards, Sofie Hagen, Romesh Ranganathan, Richard Gadd, Richard Brown, Pierre Novellie, Phil Wang, Phillip O'Shea, Nish Kumar, Matt Winning, Lost Voice Guy, Lewis Schaffer, Jonny Pelham, James Acaster, Ian Smith, Janey Godley, Hari Sriskantha (via out-of-body experience), The Horne Section, Garrett Millerick, Eleanor Tiernan, Eleanor Morton, David O'Doherty, David Elms, David Callaghan, Daniel Sloss, Amir Khoshsokhan, Alex Kealy, Alex Edelman, Ahir Shah, Adam Hess. I've probably missed a few people I know due to flicking through the programme too quickly and/or not wanting to see their show.

8. If you took over programming a venue, what would you perfect line-up of comedians be?

It would actually be really handy to have all of the above in a row, because now I'm not sure I'll have time to see all of them.

9. Name the one person you'd rather not bump into during the festival.

I always try to avoid anyone who recognises me while I'm handing out flyers, in case they want to start talking to me. I hate it when that happens.*

* This is funny because it's not true and flyering is actually painfully lonely.

10. Why should audiences pick your show over the 1,700+ other comedy offerings at this year's festival?

Most likely because they've seen me before, or because they were outside my venue around 3pm and I gave them a flyer and they said: 'Sure, why not?' In all seriousness: I think my show is funny and thought-provoking and not a bad way to spend forty minutes of your life. Even if no-one comes, I'm really proud of it - and I guess I can't ask for much more than that.

(But please come.)

'Hari Sriskantha: Like Breath on a Mirror' is at 3:20pm at The Counting House on 6-18, 20-30 August. Listing