When did you first decide to become a comedian?

Vanity is a terrible thing. I always wanted to be a comedian and was kind of the funny kid in the class. But what kind of career is it really? It's a really silly thing to have wanted to be 25 years ago. A ‘comedian’. Why not chose to be a spy or a ballerina?

So you’ve always wanted to be a comedian?

Yes. Like pretty much always. I started working on student radio and couldn’t believe how many rules there were. I kept getting into shit for literally just telling the truth. I’m not saying all stand up is art. But there aren’t really that many places where folks can kind of say whatever they want without recourse other than laughter. I thought: ‘this is a good place’. Even when stand up is shit, it’s at least an attempt at saying more than we are used to.

Do you have any comedy heroes?

Many! I grew up with British parents and we used to get people coming over with recorded VHS tapes of just about anything on UK TV.  There was some rubbish such as Russ Abbott’s Madhouse, but then I blended it with stuff like the The Young Ones. Eventually however, I ended up with a lot of American comedy heroes like Doug Stanhope and Louis CK. I like people who just tell the truth. I struggle with making up scenarios as life is just funny when it’s real. I went to Vegas recently as a tourist. I saw what seemed to be a complete antithesis of what I like about comedy. It was all about bells and whistles and catchphrases. I hated it.

Do you do other things besides comedy performances?

South Africa is a strange place to be a comedian. Most of the acts make a really tidy living doing corporate work.  I found myself not so keen on the pressure of it and pretty much removed myself from its clutches. They make filthy money for average hack stuff. But that’s South Africa. For me to make a living I had to do a bunch of other stuff, from working on a terrible radio station to doing umpteen international commercials. I have been your fast food guy. The beer man. The sports betting guy. It’s just money.

So being a professional comedian is tough?

It's so strange. I’ve been doing this through a mix of ignorance and envy for nearly ten years. There is something I learned: circuit comedy that works is a very fulfilling aspect of the job. The more you can interest an audience away from watching you on a bill and then watching just you in a one man show is a phenomenon to watch, especially in the UK where I’m based. You tap into the humour of the day almost with an uncanny accuracy. This is why I am here. I think I could make more money staying in Cape Town and just doing whatever. I prefer the risk. So far I have learned that the risk is pretty much where the passion is. I love my job. I have been to 13 countries this year from it. The more I try, the more I get. And I can essentially do it anywhere. It really is a cool lifestyle. I may make less money on a trip here than at home, but really the purpose it to play to a new audience. They have seen me at home… or, equally, not supported me enough to stay. I would rather be here right now.

Which are the most memorable gigs you’ve done?

I have done gigs that I cannot even talk about...  I’m talking Bond villain style secret stuff on tropical islands... To me, the best gigs are the ones where I can really get my point across to the smallest or largest intimate audience. I wish I was playing to stadiums. But how would you judge the individual’s response?  I love playing at Parkers in Johannesburg, at Monte Casino and Gold Reef City and I am a massive fan of Jou Ma's Se Comedy (the first ever five nights a week comedy in Cape Town) at the Waterfront opening soon. We have a lot of cool stuff in South Africa. As much as I would enjoy playing to a huge crowd, I know I would struggle to see people again. Arena shows are spectacles not comedy shows.

Do different people in different countries laugh at different things?

Sure. We are all different. But how dull is comedy based on culture?

The UK worked that all out years ago. South Africa struggles to come to terms with its past. It seems to think that everything is a joke and all cultures are to be parodied. Many resent it. Yet success seems to be based on it. We have some genuinely funny South Africans. Yet you would have to look about (outside) the corporate circuit to see a lot of it. At the end of the day, jokes are universal. Descriptions of them may be different… I am hoping to tell a few stories that include my past. I’m not trying to regionalise them but a simple knowledge of where I am from and when won’t hurt.

Has anyone ever been offended by one of your jokes?

Once, at my childhood hometown of Port Elizabeth, some mental lady stopped my set in someone’s garden (it had a bunch of bonfires) whilst I did a series of rather dirty jokes. This woman stopped the set screaming: “Stop the filth, stop the filth!”  For a while, people called me Filth Man. I was not proud of this. In South Africa I have seen people want to beat me up, through to people who wanted me to sign their breasts. I preferred the latter… but honestly it often still ended in me getting smacked. Though, to be honest, I have had nothing but lovely people dealing with me over the years. But I am as afraid of a British hen party as I am of live gunfire.

Are there any particular goals you wish to achieve in the comedy field?

I want to be the first person in the history of the Edinburgh Fringe festival to not lose their lover, their home, their pride and their leave from work for a year ever.
I want to be able to return to South Africa and the UK and the other destinations as soon as I can.  I want a rockabilly wife. These are simple dreams. Except the last part.  Follow me on Twitter @hellpants. I’m always on the move.

The Eden Comedy Club will be hosting its next stand up comedy night on Saturday 21 September at 8:30pm at the Eden Cinemas. The line-up for the night includes Dana Alexander from Canada, Martin Evans (interviewed above), Australian native Matt Dwyer and MC Matt Price. Details from: www.edenculture.com.mt