You might remember we recently interviewed Viv Groskop about her role in period drama improvisation spoof 'Upstairs Downton', her stand-up comedy, her journalism and generally being the UK's most prolific freelancer. Since then she's managed to throw together a book, a new comedy night and various performances at the Edinburgh Festival. As you do. Just to be sure she didn't accidentally get any time off, we got Viv to tell us all about what she's been up to, and to give us her top tips for Edinburgh.

KA: You've been doing stand-up, storytelling and improvisation at Edinburgh- can you talk us through what you've been involved in?

VG: Many great things have happened. And many terrible things have happened. This is the spirt of Edinburgh, Apparently. I’ve been hosting a chat show at Bob’s Bookshop at Heroes of Fringe. I’ve been in Upstairs Downton: An Improvised Episode, a period drama made up on the spot and bearing NO RESEMBLANCE to Downton Abbey if you are a lawyer for ITV. And I’ve been doing the show of my book I Laughed, I Cried: How One Woman Took On Stand-Up and (Almost) Ruined Her Life.

KA: Why did you decide to try stand-up comedy in the first place?

VG: I had always dreamt of doing stand-up ever since I was little. When I reached my mid thirties, I realised that I was possibly going to die without doing the one thing I really wanted to do. I thought it would be like Pilates. I would do it once and never go back. Instead I got rather over-involved in it and that’s ongoing.

KA: Your book is called I Laughed, I Cried- can you talk us through the best times and the worst?

VG: Best times: Hosting Jo Brand’s book tour. Gigging with Michael McIntyre and him calling me Vicky. Getting to the semi-finals of So You Think You’re Funny at the Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh. Although obviously the finals would have been better.

Worst times: Having the worst gig of my life and asking Tom Wrigglesworth (lovely comic) what I could do to be better and him replying: “Just be funny.” Any gig in north London. (North London is bad luck for me.) Any gig in Croydon.

KA: You host 'The Night I Died'- where you've already had some fantastic guests- what's the best sob-story you've heard so far?

VG: My favourite story came from actor Kerry Shale. He did a show to 50 people in New York after very bad reviews. They chatted all through the first half and sent him hate vibes with every fibre of their beings. When he came back on after the interval, they had all left except for ONE PERSON. He had to do the rest of the show just to her. Afterwards one of the crew said, “Let’s invite her for a drink so it’s not so awkward.” But she had already left.

KA: There's been a lot of hatred directed towards women online recently- what's the worst stuff anyone's ever said to you on social media?

VG: It wasn’t online. It was in the Daily Telegraph. I received the following review for a comedy performance: “Female. Brave.” Worst of all, both things are accurate.

KA: What would your top tips be for someone visiting the Edinburgh Festival?

VG: Pace yourself! And don’t drink any alcohol.

KA: And how do you get through it as a performer?

VG: You vow to pace yourself and drink no alcohol. And then you do neither. And you go to lots of soul-destroying parties where everyone is talking about their five-star reviews. I have no idea how anyone survives this. Let alone how or why they come back year after year. But I’m glad they do.

KA: Have you had time to see any other acts? Who would you recommend?

VG: All these things are great: Adam Kay, Tig Notaro, Puppet Up, Tom Webb, Pippa Evans and Sanderson Jones, Austentatious, David Mills, Adam Larter, Mary Bourke.

I love Adam Kay’s Christmas show. Mostly for a line that goes something like: “Your presents are thoughtful. But your thoughts are awful.” (Ed: you can see our interview with Adam here)

 I feel dutybound to recommend David Morgan because he is very arch and funny. But mostly because I did a chat show with him, had a brain fart and introduced him simply as “Adam”. I will never forgive myself.

This is possibly my best FREE SHOW apart from Upstairs Downton (which I’m in). It features ace improviser Pippa Evans and Jesus-returned-to-earth-in-atheist-form Sanderson Jones.

Tom Webb is one of my favourite comics. He is very sharp and lively. He’s also very short which is funny in itself. 

KA: And what do you have planned next?

VG: I am doing a mini-tour of Manchester in October. By which I mean I am performing two nights in a row. This is a tour, right?

Buy Viv's book here and  stay up to date with new dates for The Night I Died here and Upstairs Downton here. For all her other stuff, check her website.