Abigoliah Schamaun: Love & Sex

After a year of touring Subtle, shocking and rocking audiences around the world with her particular flavour of dirty, seemingly autobiographical comedy, Abigoliah Shamaun is teaching less yoga, doing more shows and packing her bags for the big smoke right before the Fringe. We sit down to talk love affairs with Edinburgh, and what happens when you tell dick jokes in front of your mum.

How are you and Edinburgh doing?

Well, this will be my fifth year. It feels like a love affair that’s hot and steamy yet really volatile. If Edinburgh were my boyfriend all my friends would be saying “Why are you with him? He’s so moody and weird!” And I’d reply, “But you don’t know him like I do!!”

What’s the catalyst for this show?

I found a file my dad kept on me as a kid, sort of like a scrapbook. In the file was a psychological evaluation that I took when I was eight years old. I thought the results were interesting and it’s all spun out from there.

How do your folks react to your material?

I’m really lucky to have such supportive parents. My mother has seen me perform and though she doesn’t like thinking of her daughter in some of those situations, she admits it’s funny. My father never saw me do stand-up and I never really wanted him to. He was supportive as well, but I’m not sure he could handle his first-born talking about being gang-banged. What a prude! AM I RIGHT?!?!

I imagine shooting the shit with a room of strangers is it cathartic...?

Yeah, I think it’s easier to talk about embarrassing moments and my thoughts and feelings to a group of strangers than it is with loved ones.

Do you ever worry how certain material is going to go down? Do you ever censor it?

When I do an hour at Edinburgh, no. The audience have paid to see my show, and they’ll see it as written. If they’re a conservative audience I won’t completely change what I do but I might dial it back a bit. People want to have a nice time and it’s my job to give it to them.

In a nutshell, why should people come see your show?

Every year I talk about sex. This year I’m talking about how much I love my mom and dad… and sex… but not sex with my mom and dad, you dirty bird.