Milo Edwards is a third-year classicist at Peterhouse. He has performed in both Footlights Smokers and comedy nights as a stand-up and sketch comedian. Last Lent, he wrote and starred in Tough Crowd at Pembroke New Cellars, and the one-act farce Surgeons at Corpus Playroom. He also performed stand-up in Four Comedic Porpoises. This year he also travelled to the Edinburgh Fringe where he performed stand-up as a part of Free Footlights. Milo currently runs and compères the Peterhouse Smoker and will be performing in this week’s Corpus Smoker.

The thing he really dislikes about Cambridge is it’s student politics, and when asked where he sees himself in thirty years says he will be “a faceless cog in the oppressive regime of the underwater Chinese super-state.” Before adding “Either that or managing a branch of Aldi.”

What’s your favourite thing about Smokers?
Having people sit there and listen to the stuff I would otherwise just be muttering to myself. They occasionally laugh.

How did you get started in comedy? 
The first time you do stand-up is a lot like the first time you have sex: a lot of fun, as long as you prepare thoroughly with adequate research and rehearsal in front of a mirror.

What’s the worst thing about Cambridge comedy?
Pretentiousness: too many people want to judge comedy on what the ‘point’ is - comedy doesn’t need a point, it needs to be funny.

What’s been your most embarrassing on-stage moment?
The only time my life isn’t embarrassing is on stage.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
Rod Stewart, because I’ve been pretending not to like him for 10 years to spite my mother and sister.

How would you describe your sense of humour?
Dry, caustic and generally hostile. I’ll laugh at pretty much anything, though.

What is the trait you most dislike in yourself?
I can’t really function before 1 pm.

What is the nicest thing someone has said to you?
A Russian nun recently told me I had a “Slavic face.” True story.

What is your favourite comedy show?
I’m Alan Partridge is the best TV comedy ever made, closely followed by Peep Show and Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace.

What’s been the worst reaction you’ve had to one of your jokes?
Every time I tell Charlie Palmer (friend and fellow stand-up) a joke that isn’t outright fantastic, he does this blank, weary face and takes a very slow sip of his drink before replacing it on the table and staring at me in silence. It still hurts, man.

The Corpus Smoker will run from Monday 21st October – Monday 4th November at the Corpus Playroom.