Performer: Eli Matthewson
Photograph by: Emma Brittenden
Show: The Year of Magical F*cking
Venue: Underbelly George Square – The Wee Coo
Promoter: Carrie Hardie for Serious Comedy

Tell me about your Edinburgh show.

It’s called ‘The Year of Magical Fucking’. It’s about how I read a Time Magazine study about how millennials were having less sex than their parents, and that spurred me into trying to induce my own mid-twenties sexual awaking. Which didn’t work out. At all. I did do some fucking that year, but most of it wasn’t exactly magical. Also it’s kind of a love story and a little bit about how I should have won X-Factor New Zealand.

Tell me about your first gig.

I’m from Christchurch New Zealand, and I did all these jokes about how I was having trouble finding a girlfriend and being sad and single and then 3 months later, I got my first boyfriend.

Do you have any rituals before going on stage?

I plan a TIGHT playlist before my shows and do a full lip sync performance to No One by Alicia Keys backstage.

Tell me about your best and worst review.

Sometimes I get messages from young gay kids who have seen me and who have felt more okay because of that (maybe because their life is less embarrassing than mine) and these are the best reviews! Is that a cop out? My worst review was when someone on my sponsored Facebook ad said “Duz anyo1 else think this guy SUCKS” and I didn’t notice for a full week.

During this Edinburgh run, do you plan to read reviews of your show?

Yes I honestly can’t stop myself and I’ve just accepted that I shouldn’t, but I will.

How do you feel about reviewers generally?

They are all super attractive and intelligent and I hope they read this.

In April 2018, YouTube comedian, Markus Meechan (aka Count Dankula) was fined £800 for training his girlfriend’s pug dog to do a Nazi salute with its paw, in response to the phrase ‘Gas the Jews’. Do you believe Meechan committed a criminal offence, and why?

He committed a criminal offence when he called himself “Count Dankula” in my humble opinion.

Are there any subjects that are not suitable for comedy?

It is my personal belief that straight men should no longer be able to jokes about getting their Prostate examined at the doctor. We’ve heard enough!

Have you ever gone too far?

Travelling from New Zealand to Edinburgh is too far. As a comedian I think I tow the line.

Looking back over your time as a comedian, tell me about the best gig of your career.

I slammed a gig at a nudist colony’s New Year party. Beat that.