Robin Ince

The Award Winning Robin Ince Star of the Office Series 1 Episode 5 (First Bit)

What is your show all about?

The Award Winning Robin Ince Star of the Office Series 1 Episode 5 (First Bit) is about my essential contribution to TV and Radio over the last 5 years and an intense and educational anatomy of my two whole scenes in the Office.

Where and when can we see it?

8.45pm The Underbelly from the 5th August to the 30th (not 16th).

Do you love Edinburgh or is it a chore?

I love the record shops, baked potatoes and the architecture. I am less certain about the delusions, ego madness and intense fear.

What will you be doing with the other 23 hrs of the day?

I am also writing and co-presenting Radio 2's The Day the Music Died, so much of my time will be spent working on that. Also I will be watching old episodes of Jeeves and Wooster with Chris Addison and Will Smith and indulging in cheese and wine whilst playing Scrabble. As usual I will have to argue with Will about the fact that Bergerac is not an acceptable eight letter word.

What's the best thing you've ever seen on the fringe?

'Die' by Gawkagogo last year was the best cartoon made flesh I have seen.

What's the worst thing you've seen?

The bloke with a face held together by scar tissue and handcuffed to a policeman in accident and emergency after Howard Read broke my arm.

What's the most curious thing that's happened to you in Edinburgh?

After Howard broke my arm I took to taking all my painkillers before going on stage so I could move around freely which seemed to make my brain a tad wobbly afterwards, and I took to ranting peculiarly about lesser known Morrissey cover versions. Howard smashed my arm as he was influenced by the film Showgirls and believed that by smashing me he would get the closing slot in the show. This backfired enormously as not only did he not get that, he was forced to buy all my drinks as I was unable to carry anything. Stupid Howard.

If you could persuade one VIP to come to your show who would it be? Why?

I would like John Peel and Sheila, his wife, to come. I have been an admirer of them for many years and hope that he might find the show entertaining and then let me go into his garage to look at his secret records.

If the Edinburgh fairy could grant your wish, what would your wish for?

The ability to walk passed Avalanche records without stopping and going 'oh look, I don't think I've got that Belle and Sebastian rarity' then steaming in and gorging myself on some delightful CDs, many of which turn out to be rubbish.

What advice do you have for first time Edinburgh punters?

Young boys, do not be persuaded to see shows because the flyers say 'contains nudity'. It will just be an old man's bottom (in fact all shows containing nudity have the same old man's bottom in it, he just loves showing it off).