Retired filmmaker George Lucas (aka comedian Connor Ratliff) hosts a talk show

Following a long-running prime-time weekend off-Broadway slot and a sell-out run at London's Soho Theatre, underground-cult-hit comedy The George Lucas Talk Show is making its first journey to the Edinburgh Festival. In a twist to the standard talk show format, comedian Connor Ratliff appears as "retired filmmaker George Lucas", the creator of Star Wars, interviewing real celebrity guests.

With a previous guests list including names such as Seth Meyers, Weird Al, Peter Serafinowicz and Aimee Mann, we nailed star Connor Ratliff down for a chat about his favourite guests, why you don't necessarily need to have seen Star Wars to enjoy the Talk Show, and his spin-off theatrical improv show, George-prov.

Imagine I'm a bigwig comedy overlord, like Warren Buffett but for the Fringe. Give me the elevator pitches for your two shows?

The George Lucas Talk Show has been a hit show for nearly a decade in NYC, with everyone from Whoopi Goldberg to Jon Hamm dropping by to chat with "retired filmmaker George Lucas" and it's always weird and fun and different every time. We recently had Amy Irving on; she kissed George on stage as the punchline to a wild story and then at the end of the show, in reference to her 1988 movie, Crossing Delancey, we took the entire audience outside and walked four blocks so we could all literally cross Delancey Street with her. We think the Edinburgh shows are gonna be crazy, feeding off the energy of the festival.

As for George-prov, it's a high-wire act. Basically, if you've seen ABBA: Voyage in London (the Industrial Light + Magic-designed spectacle show where current-day ABBA allowed digital "ABBAtars" of themselves to be created so it could run forever), this is basically that exact show, except with no ABBA songs and it's George Lucas. One hour of interactive improv theatre performed by a "digital avatar" of one of the most successful filmmakers of all time.

Is George aware of the show(s)? If not, do a plea for him now.

We know that George's people are aware of the show. Every interaction we have had with them has been very nice, especially with the people involved in his new museum he's building in Los Angeles (The Lucas Museum Of Narrative Art). We released a pop song about the yet-to-be-opened museum, and I'm told that the people who work there really like it. If George or any of his friends want to come to Edinburgh and see the shows we're doing, all they have to do is say the word, we'll save seats for them. Or they can be in the show! George has permission to walk on stage in the middle of any of our performances and do whatever he wants.

Who has been your favourite Talk Show guest and why? Who would be the worst, so you've never asked them?

It's hard to pick a favourite. Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) called us from back stage at the Oscars when we were livestreaming, so that move alone puts her in a tie for first place with about a dozen other people. There are a lot of people we'd never ask. There's a senator from Texas whose name I won't mention but he loves comedy and everybody hates him. I think he would probably be the worst guest, as would most of the people in his political party.

If George Lucas ever decided to do stand-up, what do you think his stage name should be?

"Funny George" is the first stage name that comes to mind. It's simple, gets right to the point. But if you wanted to make it sound like a Star Wars name, he would probably be "Maxi Jokka".

Is the show just for fans of Star Wars? What about those who don't know their Boba Fetts from their Jabba the Huts?

One of the biggest compliments we get is when people tell us they love our show but they've never seen a Star Wars movie. Honestly, we don't talk about Star Wars as often as you would think, and when we do, it's in a way where it really doesn't matter if you're familiar with any of it. Our version of George Lucas is trying his best to put on an entertaining show, and my co-host Griffin Newman's version of "Watto" (a character from the late 90s Star Wars prequels) as George's talk show sidekick is very much his own take on a character that a lot of people don't even remember that clearly. We always try to do a show that will be weird and funny without being alienating to people who are experiencing the show for the first time.