The Laughter Factory returns to Dubai with a solid arsenal of awesome ready to bring the house down at Mövenpick Hotel, Crowne Plaza Hotel and Grand Millennium Hotel in December. We caught up with both Gordon Southern, a comedy club veteran, and Josh Howie, a Woody Allen fan as they prepare to take to the stage.

GORDON SOUTHERN (above right)
A seasoned pro of the stand-up circuit, the British comic is known for his upbeat and energetic routines

Sarcasm: funny or not? Sarcasm is a lot like whiskey. A little bit can be fun, but too much and someone will get hurt.

Which comedian would you most like to have dinner with? Any that owes me dinner. We lunch a lot us comics (no evenings free) and I’m sure I’m in credit with a few pals, so I might call in those debts when I’m hungry.

If you weren’t doing stand-up what would you be doing? I’d be writing jokes for other people. Or perhaps one of those funny taxi drivers you sometimes get.

How do you handle hecklers? It’s very rare in these days as audiences are better behaved and the comics I work with are far better.

Funniest movie of all time? Trading Places. Denholm Elliot saying ‘eggnog’ is one of my favourite moments.

Who or what never fails to make you laugh? YouTube clips of dogs in fancy dress being startled.

Which comedian would you stand in line to see? Anyone who uses dogs in fancy dress and has a show containing an element of surprise.

What was your most memorable gig? Being flown business class to eat Michelin star food on a cruise liner on Lake Geneva for the directors of UEFA. There were enough football stars from my childhood to make it pretty exciting.

Who do you practise your material on? Twitter, my long-suffering wife and my mates over lunch.

When did you first realise you had the ability to make people laugh? Every baby knows how to make people laugh. Without it you would be murdered by your parents due to sleep deprivation.

JOSH HOWIE (above left)
A world weary comedian whose mum, PR guru Lynne Franks, inspired the character Edina in TV comedy Absolutely Fabulous 

Which comedian would you like to have dinner with? Woody Allen – as long as he was paying.

If you weren’t a comic what would you be doing? I’m barely doing this.

How do you handle hecklers? With tongs.

What’s the funniest movie of all time? The Jerk. Or Annie Hall. Or Spinal Tap. Why can’t you ask me something easy like how to cure world hunger?

Which comedian would you stand in line to see? Me, stand in a line? You’re the funny one.

Describe your most memorable gig It was… erm, it’s coming back to me. No, sorry, it’s gone.

Who do you practise your material on? The audience. And interviews.

December 5 and 6  Mövenpick Hotel, JBR, Dubai, 9pm, Dhs140. Tel: (04) 3551862. Metro: Dubai Marina.
December 11  Zinc, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, 9pm, Dhs140. Tel: (04) 3551862. Metro: Emirates Towers.
December 12  Grand Millennium Hotel, Tecom, Dubai, 9pm, Dhs140. Tel: (04) 3551862. Metro: Internet City.