Next to be subjected to Sport.co.uk’s gruelling grilling is the "reassuringly intelligent and very funny" (The Guardian) Paul Sinha - “the world’s only gay Bengali GP turned stand-up comedian” (The Times) - who returns to the festival with his new show Extreme Anti-White Vitriol…
Are you into any sports? Do you support a team? If so, who and why?
I’m into an awful lot of sports, the ‘big four’ being football, cricket, athletics and tennis. But I'm really quite the addict and have been known to stay up until the small hours glued to all manner of unglamorous TV coverage.
Do you play any sports yourself?
My limited stamina means that I don't indulge all that much, though I play in goal for a weekly comedians’ football game. More ‘The Walrus’ than ‘The Cat’, I'm afraid. I do shoot a decent game of pool, and I used to be very good on any snooker table that wasn't full size.
Were you watching the World Cup? If so, which team and player impressed you most? And what was your stand out moment of the tournament?
There was very little of the World Cup that I didn't watch. My favourite team was undoubtedly the newly flamboyant Germans, and Diego Forlan was by some margin my favourite player, proving that your Premier League career does not define you. As for standout moment, it was in the final when Arjen Robben had his moment of glory and fluffed his one-on-one. He knew that was his big moment gone, and neutrals everywhere cheered the fact that the Netherlands' thuggish tactics did not end in victory.
Are there any sports which you absolutely cannot understand the appeal of?
Formula 1. Don't get me wrong, I understand the skill and courage involved but, aesthetically, it holds no interest for me. With great sports, the television coverage shows you every contorted emotion of the participant. Here you just see a carefully manufactured block of metal fly past at regular intervals. It's a sport for people who prefer machines to humans.
Who is your all-time favourite sportsman/sportswoman? And why?
I'd love to say something quirky or rebellious here, but for me it's Sachin Tendulkar. For 21 years he has had the hopes of a billion people resting on his shoulders, and he has coped with such verve and thrilling skill. Indian cricket is much like English football in that enormous wealth has created any number of players who lack a certain degree of hunger and professionalism. Sachin is the antithesis of that and is still one of the greatest batsmen in the world. When he eventually retires, he will have set a series of records that will never be broken, and he will be sorely missed.
If you could invent your own sport, what would it entail?
Swingball-quizzing. If biathlon and chess boxing can work, then I see no reason why people can't play swingball while having difficult general knowledge questions being fired at them.
What have been your best and worst experiences of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival?
The 2006 if.comedy nomination was a shock, a delight and a turning point in my career. It was an amazing three days. The worst moment was a show in 2008 that started badly and nosedived from there. An hour is a long time to spend in the company of people who don't find you funny.
Which is your favourite Fringe venue? And why?
The Stand comedy club is simply a byword for professionalism and excellence. I would say that, as I am playing there, but the venues are not saunas and the staff are exceptionally helpful and knowledgeable. As a result, you do get a more erudite comedy crowd.
What's the best watering hole in Edinburgh? And the best place for a bite to eat?
It's a little off the beaten track but there is a fantastic cocktail bar in the Newtown called Brambles which is everything I like about a bar. Small but perfectly formed, with outstanding though admittedly expensive cocktails. And as for food, The Mosque Kitchen always does me right. Cheap and extremely plentiful curry.
What's the strangest thing you’ve ever seen at the Festival?
I once sat through a play on a whim where for ten minutes a woman washed her hair on stage. Literally nothing else happened in those ten minutes. ‘Brechtian’ is the euphemism the critics used for such incomprehensible rubbish.
What's the best heckle you’ve ever heard?
I often get asked this question and I never have an answer. I am never there when the mythical concept of the funny heckle takes place.
Are there any other acts you look forward to seeing during the Festival?
I never hang out with acts during the year, so it’s great to drink with them through August. In terms of shows, I’m looking forward to seeing Stuart Goldsmith, Andrew Lawrence, Andrew Bird and any number of international acts whom I wouldn't otherwise get to see.
Who is the Lionel Messi of comedy (ie modern day great)? And the Pele of comedy (ie all time great)?
The Lionel Messi (or should that be Diego Forlan)? A lot to choose from - I am going to plump for the Canadian Glenn Wool, who consistently shows such a total mastery of the art of comedy that it makes me feel very jealous. As for Pele, I shall plump for Stewart Lee - the very definition of an obscenely talented polymath who has never compromised himself and continues to offer brilliantly intelligent and often savage comedy.
Paul Sinha: Extreme Anti-White Vitriol will be on at the Stand 3 & 4 at 10.40pm (6th-15th and 17th-29th). For more information, please visit www.paulsinha.com