Five Questions: Janey Godley

Welcome to the first in what we hope will become a comprehensive series of posts in which we ask some of the country's top stand-ups about themselves. And our first interviewee in the chair is Janey Godley.

Sometimes described as the female Billy Connolly, Janey is a down-to-earth Glaswegian whose comedy often derives from the streets of her home city. She is also renowned as one of the hardest working people in comedy, two years ago during the Edinburgh Fringe she was performing three full length shows every day. As well as headlining the top comedy clubs up and down the country she is also a bestselling author and a successful playwright and actress. Here's what she had to say in answer to our little quiz.

What made you decide you wanted to be a comedian (and when did you first decide)?

I owned a bar for 15 years and left it in 1994. I only wanted to become a comic to get my Equity card so I could act, but I liked comedy more eventually.

Which other comedians do you most admire/most inspire you?

Jerry Sadowitz performed comedy in my bar , so he was the biggest inspiration to me.

What's been your best gig to date? And your worst?

The best was performing at Glastonbury. The worst was in front of seventeen nuns!

What's the best heckle you've ever received? And how did you respond?

The best heckle was in Oxford when a wee obviously lesbian chick was sitting with 20 male squaddies. I was doing stuff about porn and asked 'Is it just me....or do other women flinch when they watch hard core porn and clench and worry about the pain? She shouted "NO, I love it" and all the men laughed.

I added "Well you weren't really in that demographic as you look like the kind of woman who likes to bang a hammer off her vagina, or lets another woman bang it for her"

She shouted "I am not a lesbian"

I replied " Really? Well you need to know someone has seriously fucked up your hair"

What are you working on at the moment and what does the future hold?

I am on tour at the moment and I also write a weekly column for The Scotsman newspaper. I'm about to go to New Zealand for the comedy festival. Then in April I have a run at the Soho Theatre.