Well done on winning the IF comedy award (formerly the Perrier) at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last year.
Like most stand-ups I've dreamt of winning that award. I've been going to Edinburgh for several years and have been nominated since 1996. Most years I was getting pretty close but this time I finally got it. It was most definitely a high point for me.

You're known for your confessional style of comedy. Do you find comedy cathartic?
Comedy is only cathartic if you get up that night, shout out your inner thoughts and then just leave it. But when you do it months on end it becomes painful and mentally disturbing. My current show's probably not quite so personal and emotional. Sure, it addresses some of my biggest shortcomings but it's more about cutting to the funny.

In your experience, where have you found the most difficult audiences?
Liverpool because they're all f**king comedians in Liverpool. You will notice the significant absence of Liverpool on the tour. I don't have to go there so I won't. There was this venue in Romford too, the Global Mac Cafe, that's the stupidest place I have ever encountered. Saying that, Las Vegas is apparently pretty bad. Makes sense to me. You go to Vegas and all the dumbest Americans seem to be there.

You famously gave away magic mushrooms to on-lookers at Glastonbury. What would you give away to an audience now?
Value for money, a laugh per minute. Makes me sound real crazy doesn't it?

How do you want people to feel after seeing one of your shows? Shocked? Exhausted? Enlightened?
To be tired from laughing. The fact of the matter is, if you get too preoccupied with anything other than making people laugh as often as possible then you stop being funny. When you stop being funny, no-one really cares what you're saying. No one cares about what your subtext or underlying message is. So cut to the funny and let everyone else interpret it. That's what I committed to with this last show and after years of falling into the trap of taking myself too seriously I finally stopped and got on with being funny.

We've heard you like cooking. What's your signature dish?
Are you coming onto me? I'm taken! Actually that's how my relationship started - my girlfriend interviewed me for The Times. As for my sig dish, I love making ribs. I use the Vietnamese hot sauce and brown sugar.

Looking forward to the Soho dates of your tour?
Absolutely. I've been chomping at the bit to bring the Edinburgh show to London. This is the last chance for people to see it before we take it to North America. Seriously, people, this is the last time to see this show in Britain.

If you want to heed Brendon's warning and catch him before he hits the States, get further details here for dates and venues.

Brendon at the Duchess Theatre on 1st June.