Tim Vine: ‘It was such a bad gig, I went off stage and came back as Vim Tine’

How did you get into comedy?
I spotted an advert in the Stage newspaper advertising a new act competition at the Comedy Cafe in London. Twelve acts did five minutes each and the audience voted for the winner. I began going to that every Wednesday.

Who did you look up to when you were starting out?
I was inspired by all the acts who were doing full 20-minute spots when I was just doing unpaid five-minute open spots. The list is almost too many to name. It was all the acts working on the circuit at that time. Boothby Graffoe, Kevin Day, Lee Evans, Alan Davies, Eddie Izzard, John Moloney, Harry Hill, Jeff Green and loads more. The entire comedy circuit inspired me.

Best heckle?
“Go hang yourself, Blondie.” It reminds me of a time when I had a mop of blond hair.

Before a show I pray a bit and say: ‘Over to you, Lord. I’m not sure I can do this because I’m too much of a scaredy cat’

Can you remember a gig so bad, it’s now funny?
I remember dying on stage and thinking maybe I’ll go off and come on again, so I said: “That’s enough from me, now please welcome Vim Tine.” I went off stage and came back again with my shirt on my head and continued to die.

What’s your current show about?
Nothing. It’s just a mass of unconnected silliness.

Any preshow rituals?
Yes, I pray a bit and if I’m feeling very nervous say something like: “Over to you, Lord. I’m not sure I can do this because I’m too much of a scaredy cat.”

What’s your process for writing new jokes?
I often hear something that sounds like a punchline and then write the setup afterwards to get me to it.

You won the Perrier best newcomer award in 1995. What’s changed most about the Edinburgh fringe in that time?
Everyone has got younger. They probably haven’t but it looks like it because when I look in the mirror, I no longer see a guy in his late 20s.

Comedy hero and why?
Hard to say just one but I’ll go for Larry Grayson. An utter genius, hilarious, and weirdly, despite his huge success on shows such as The Generation Game, I think he’s hugely underrated as a comedian. He never makes it into those best 100 comedian lists, which is ridiculous.

Who is your non-comedy hero?
My dad. He had the best approach to life of anyone I know. The model of contentment. Nothing ever really got to him and he also had a very inquisitive mind.

What advice would you wish to impart to others?
Create something and after you’ve done that, create something else.

Tim Vine: Breeeep! is at Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, until 28 August.