Fringe Q&A: Jamie D'Souza

As he brings his newcomer hour to the Fringe, Jamie D'Souza talks about his first Edinburgh experience, his comedy heroes and forecasting for Sainsbury's

feature (edinburgh) | Read in About 5 minutes
Published 03 Aug 2022
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Jamie d'Souza

This is the first time you're bringing a full-show to Edinburgh – but what are your previous experiences of Edinburgh?

My first experience of Edinburgh was coming up for So You Think You’re Funny? in 2017 – a prestigious stand up competition and rite of passage for most new acts. It’s a very nerve-wracking gig, because you’re only allowed to enter the competition once, in your first year of comedy. Luckily I got to the final, so my eight-hour Megabus round trip was completely worth it!

Although my main memory from Edinburgh that year was going up to a performers' bar wearing a t-shirt from my favourite comic's last tour, not realising that when you’re in Edinburgh, all your favourite comics are lurking around every corner! Obviously when I got to the bar they were on the table next to mine, cue a lot of embarrassment and the start of a lifetime of imposter syndrome for me!

When did you first realise you could make people laugh?

I think at school. I was a bit of a massive nerd, but also quite naughty. I had a friend called Tom, and I think we both liked egging each other on. Our sole aim in class was to make each other laugh, mainly just doing stupid pranks on our mates.

Our personal favourite was always stealing someone’s bag under their desk, taking all the stuff out, turning it inside out, putting all the stuff back in, and zipping it up. Great fun. It might sound like something an idiot would find funny, but I also would have been a 14 year old boy, so what do you expect?

How long did it take from that moment to consider doing comedy full-time?

I remember wanting to do comedy from a young age, maybe 14 or 15. My Mum used to sneak me into our local comedy club when I was that sort of age (shout-out Outside The Box in Kingston!). The club was for over 18s so my Mum would always make me carry her pint on the way in and wear my Dad’s coat in a failed attempt to look older.

Seeing live comedy so early made really fall in love with it, and it only took me the best part of 10 years to pluck up the courage to have a go at it myself! And, I’ve never looked back!

When and where was your very first gig, and did you make people laugh there?

My first gig was at a night in London called Comedy Virgins, designed for new acts. It has a best act of the night award, decided by an audience ‘clap off’. I had a good gig and came second, which I thought meant I’d be destined for fame and stardom by gig number three. Fortunately, gig number two was in an Italian restaurant to a drunk hen-do from East Grinstead which brought me firmly back to earth.

Who is your favourite stand-up comedian, and why?

I love Joe Lycett. I love pranks, big stunts and practical jokes, and he is the absolute king of them. I really like how he always does it in such a nice but also completely hilarious way. I’m also a massive fan of Heidi Regan who is always such a joy to see, and has some of my favourite jokes of all time!

If you weren't pursuing comedy what career would you choose?

Well before comedy I was a forecaster at Sainsburys. It was a very nerdy job, with lots of stats and coding etc, but I actually quite enjoyed it. Deep down I think I’m a massive geek (arguably not that deep down at all), so I enjoyed the job. That part of me is still very present, as any of my comedy mates will know, I’m regularly bragging about how I think I've got the best comedy gig spreadsheet in the business. Some of the conditional formatting is to die for.

What TV series has made you laugh the most? (or poem, film, tv series, or any art-form that interests you)

The TV series that has made me laugh the most is also the series that has made me feel the most, and learn the most about obscure American history references. Obviously I’m talking about The Simpsons. It’s such an all-encompassing show, and is basically a handbook for every type of gag you could think of. If you see anything good, chances are The Simpsons did it first!

What's the nicest thing anybody has said about your comedy?

One that I get quite often, which I always really appreciate, is people saying I’m the greatest living comedian, and also very handsome and clever and good at football.

And the worst…?

Someone telling me I shouldn’t bang on so much about race stuff, after a 20 minute set where I mentioned my race in one very short joke...

Is the person you are on-stage close to who you are off-stage?

I’m pretty different on stage. My persona when I’m doing a set is this sort of hopeless, gormless loser with no friends, when in reality I’m actually pretty hopeful.

What shows are you most looking forward to seeing at this year's fringe?

Soooooo many. Too many to list here, but Heidi Regan, Mat Ewins are always top of my list of shows to see. And also Chelsea Birkby, Alex Farrow, Andrew White and Morgan Rees, who are all my mates, but are also very, very funny in their own right!