Alexander Bennett wants to follow in the footsteps of Mr Blobby

Alexander Bennett is back at the festival with a show titled I Can't Stand the Man, Myself.

What's the show about/inspired by?

I always think my shows are about lots of things, but viewed through one particular lens. This year my show is driven by self hatred, how that affects my life, and how I'm choosing to confront that. It was inspired by an extended period of isolation, which I cannot recommend, unless you're one of those people who genuinely loves themselves (Rylan Clark maybe?).

What's been your favourite audience reaction to the show so far?

I talk about Robbie Williams in the show. A woman came up to me after a preview and said "Have you ever seen Robbie Williams Live At Knebworth?"

"Yes" I replied, truthfully, sincerely.

"You know during the song Come Undone when he pulls a woman on stage and gets off with her?"

"Yes" I replied, my eyes wet with the memory.

"That's my mum" she said, before slipping away into the night, leaving a borderline imperceptible flavour of fame, lust and what could have been in her wake.

What would your ideal career look like?

Mr Blobby's. A cultural icon, revered by millions. Anarchic. Timeless. Both universally appealing and simultaneously incomprehensible to foreigners. All you have to do is rock up at some dive, take the place apart, deck Joan Collins, say your catchphrase and grab the cheque on your way out. Both childish and creepy, haunting yet hilarious. I'm not really joking.

What are your Fringe rituals?

For several years, I used to go and see Paula Valluerca, the Spanish clown, perform as Madame Senorita at the end of the festival. I've seen lots of clown stuff (I've wasted my life) and a lot of bad clown stuff - people mistake clowning skills as the key to greatness, rather than a discipline and set of ideals to be expanded upon and combined with other things.

Paula was by far the best pure clown I ever saw, she was genuinely pretty brave (she used to run out of her show into the road and jump on car bonnets), and was at once frightening, hilarious, sexy and melancholic. After her shows, which seemed to mock basically everything that makes us human, I'd leave with an oddly optimistic "nothing matters" attitude. I don't think she's at the fringe this year, but I'll try and see something extremely weird, in her honour, to remind myself it's all nonsense, every last bit of it.

A joke/quote/piece of advice to live by?

Groucho Marx once said "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member" and I live by that creed. This has made my life extremely difficult. If a club can be largely described as 'an association of people united by a common interest or goal', I am precluded from much of society. I have no NHS number. I have no bank account. I cannot vote for my preferred political party. It's made my day-to-day business a real trial, not to mention the effect on my social life, which should be described as catastrophic, and I really don't think that's an overstatement.

Shows you are looking forward to seeing at the Fringe (comedy and beyond)?

I am looking forward to seeing Sian Docksey, Lulu Popplewell, Andrew O'Neill, Alison Spittle, Laura Davis, Garrett Millerick, Pierre Novellie, Dr Simon Teeth, Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh I Think My Mother Is Shaving Me At Night, ACMS and How To Radiate Sexual Allure.