Performer: Justin Moorhouse
Photograph by: Paul Wolfgang Webster
Show: Northern Joker
Venue: Gilded Balloon Teviot (Dining Room)
Promoter: CKP and InterTalent Group

Tell me about your Edinburgh show.

In a fringe packed with diverse, interesting, exciting and important work there is only one show that mentions Dundee, Puffins, Mexicans living in Stockport and uses condiments as a Brexit allegory.

Tell me about your first gig.

At the Frog and Bucket in 1999 on a Monday, about twenty mates there. I stormed the shit out if it

Do you have any rituals before going on stage?

Clean my teeth and empty my pockets, as an allegory for Edfringe it works – vanity and losing money

Tell me about your best and worst review.

Best – any that doesn’t mention that, “although he’s a Northern working class comedian he doesn’t say paki.” I’m paraphrasing.

Worst – see above

During this Edinburgh run, do you plan to read reviews of your show?

No, doesn’t make me feel any better or worse so why waste my time

How do you feel about reviewers generally?

I dont mind reviewers, they’re necessary and useful. I wish the standard were a little higher sometimes, just don’t list the jokes and wrote a report – have an opinion, how did it make you feel etc…

In April 2018, YouTube comedian, Markus Meechan (aka Count Dankula) was fined £800 for training his girlfriend’s pug dog to do a Nazi salute with its paw, in response to the phrase ‘Gas the Jews’. Do you believe Meechan committed a criminal offence, and why?

I’m not legally trained but was he found guilty? So yes. Should he have been – I don’t think so, was it funny – I don’t think so, is that relevant, absolutely not

Are there any subjects that are not suitable for comedy? 

Yes

Have you ever gone too far?

I’d suggest my biggest problem is I haven’t gone far enough on occasion

Looking back over your time as a comedian, tell me about the best gig of your career.

My first one. I’ll never repeat that feeling, that perfect high