Hugh Hughes (awesome name, Hugh) won a Total Theatre Award in 2006 and a Fringe First Award in 2007. This year, the Welsh comic collaborates with theatre-makers Hoipolloi in a show about friendship.

What is your show (Hugh Hughes in... 360) about?
Friendship.

Why did you decide to do a show about this?
Because friendship is essential to human happiness but it can also be a difficult thing to understand. I hope this show will celebrate friendship, help us all understand it a bit better and allow me to really connect with audiences. It would be silly if I did a show about friendship and didn’t try to get to know each and every audience!

How ready is it?
The previews have gone down very well. A show always evolves and this show will always contain some level of improvisation. So I think it will keep evolving forever but that’s the way it should be!

If your show was a dog, what kind of dog would it be?
Welsh terrier! Naughty, cheeky but loveable. Hunting down exciting ideas and once it gets one between its teeth, it won’t let it go! (OK, I think that’s as far as the metaphor will go.)

Complete this sentence: "If you like (blank) then you'll like my show"
If you like playing and pretending you’ll like my show.

Is the Edinburgh Comedy Award important to you?
Of course it’s always wonderful when something you’ve worked really hard on gets recognition. But I’ll be able to tell if it’s a good show by the way audiences react. That’s the only important thing really. My Mum’d be pleased if I won an award though. She’s got a big book of my press cuttings and she’s so excited about the Festival this year that she’s bought a laminator to go with it.

Which other acts would you recommend this year?
I always look out for John Hegley and Daniel Kitson. There’s also some great theatre, including New International Encounter’s show My Life With Dogs. And I should cheekily recommend Hoipolloi’s other show The Doubtful Guest at Traverse!

What is the most frightening thing about the Edinburgh Festival?
The way the map of venues is done on a grid system. I get obsessed with which grid-box I’m in at anyone time and within a week I’ve got the whole map in my head. So I start telling people to meet me in G3 or A1 and they look at me like I’m a bit odd. Which I’m not, normally but somehow the festival makes me obsess over things like that.

Any tips on where to get the best pint or pie in Edinburgh?
I love the Brass Monkey on Drummond Street. Go in the day when it’s quiet for great food and a massive bed to lie on with your friends.

Sum up the festival in one word
Turquoise.

Hugh Hughes in 360 is on from August 5-31 (except August 11 and 17) at 7:05pm at the Pleasance Two. Click here for tickets.