John Hastings has thought carefully about his perfect venue line-up...

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

It was a frosty spring Eve in 2006. I was a starving actor who wanted to be a comedian and thought acting was the way to do it, turns out being a comedian is the way to be a comedian. I started in Montreal Canada and it was an awesome place to start. Small, supportive and creative.

I am happy in my career I guess. I dunno. I think. It's Edinburgh time so I basically swing from grinding my teeth and looking up small islands I could rule instead of being a comedian. WHY? I really do not know. I think I have created more questions than answered the one I was given.

2. Describe your show in exactly 23 words.

I talk about family and being a premature fella who looks like a bully and employs many batman themed metaphors. Funny though!

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

It's good for me. I have to write. I have to stretch myself to create new jokes. It's also a fun month. It's like going to summer camp/exams where al behavior is allowed and all health is ignored for the sake of jizzzzzokes.

4. Any cunning plans to get more punters in?

I am gonna do this thing. Are you sitting down. Sit down. I am gonna hire some students to give out bits of paper with all my show information on it. BEAT THAT.

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

Probably a lot but who needs a savings account. Not me. I GET A BIG PHOTO OF MY FACE INSTEAD.

6. What's your weirdest past Fringe experience?

I have no idea. Probably seeing a guy peeing on a cash point while people were still waiting to use the cash point. Yes it's that one.

7. What other shows are you hoping to see?

Jack Barry, Chris Betts, Dylan Gott's dark show, Tim Renkow and Brendan and Colt Cabana's silly wrestling show.

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

Okay at noon would be Brendon Burns forced to do a family show for 75 minutes, then Dylan Gott doing one hour of jokes, then for no reason Iron Maiden, then me and my university improv troupe "totally rehearsed:get it" do a Harold THAT ENDS WHEN IT ENDS, then it would be a podcast where Jimmy McGhie is forced to be the guest, then solo show from Bobby Mair but I have written the jokes and then we close each day where comedians stand on stage and air there dirty laundry.

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

Chris Martin... ... ... HE KNOWS WHY!

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

It's funny storytelling from a middle-class Canadian in a nice shirt. It will be, if anything, well prepared.

'John Hastings: Marked from the Start' is at 9:40pm at Pleasance Courtyard on 5-30 August. Listing