EDINBURGH 2017: BWW Q&A- Tom Ballard

Tell us a bit about Problematic.

It's my attempt to figure out what I think about political correctness, because apparently it is either going to desTroy Western civilisation or bring about world peace. I'm a bit torn: I'm a comedian (boo PC!) but a lefty homosexual (yay PC!). Some parts of it I'll defend ferociously, other parts make me want to pull my hair out and stuff that hair in my butt until my butt is full of hair.

All this is framed around my experience last year when I went on the Australian TV show First Contact, which saw me spend four weeks on the road going to remote Aboriginal communities alongside a man who is, quite a frankly, a racist. It also involves privilege, dinosaurs (briefly) and Jimmy Carr.

Why bring it to Edinburgh?

What are you, my parents?!

JKS LOL

Edinburgh is the bestest fun. It's challenging and inspiring and sometimes naughty and I get to hang out with funny idiots and stumble along cobblestones. There's nowhere else I'd rather be in August.

Having received award nominations last year are you feeling any pressure?

NOT UNTIL NOW SHEESH GOOD ONE BROADWAY WORLD

What sets it apart from other shows at the festival?

If there's anyone else out there hilariously deconstructing Australian race relations and my adversarial relationship with One Nation co-founder David Oldfield, well - that would be f**king creepy. I'd quite like to see that, to be fair. Pretty sure that's not happening though so best come to see the ONLY comic in the ENTIRE FESTIVAL with the GUTS to do it.

Who would you recommend comes to see Problematic?

Generally human beings with money, but more specifically the subset of those humans who want to laugh for an hour about this insane political moment the West is going through right now. There are honestly jokes that defend PC and others that rip the piss out of it, so if you think PC is destroying freedom of speech or if you think people who think that are bigoted arseholes, then this is the show for you.

Timings and ticket information for Tom Ballard: Problematic are available on the edfringe website.

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