JOLLY York comedy turn James Christopher is off to the Edinburgh Fringe, where he will split his personality between two free shows.

After unleashing his first character creation at last summer’s festival in the form of hapless Lib Dem MP Michael Mound, James will be upping the ante with his latest alter-ego, Jean Paul, in Triangle Man at Dragonfly, 52 West Port, from August 6 to 27 at 9pm nightly except Tuesdays.

“A Frenchman and a musical act, Jean Paul detests the lazy British stereotype that musical comedians are charlatans who hide behind their instrument and garner applause for their musical skill rather than their wit,” says James.

“Jean Paul seeks to dispel this myth by choosing the humble triangle as his instrument of choice. For added dexterity and impact, he plays the monotone metal with the finger knives of his Freddy claw glove.”

Armed with beat poetry pieces about love, passion, dead rock stars and more, Jean Paul will use his razor finger knives to slice through the banality of British stand-up, promises James.

“There’s a suitably Gallic burlesque mime interlude from Trixie Passion, and it all takes place in the plush lounge of Edinburgh’s bohemian cocktail bar Dragonfly, just yards from the bustling Grassmarket area. Not only that, it’s free,” he says.

How come there is no charge for James’s nightly set of one-liners and anecdotal storytelling? The answer is that his hour-long show is part of the PHB Free Fringe.

“The risks of taking a show to Edinburgh can be huge,” he says. “Costs, for both performers and crowds, are at a premium and many a promising comedian has been bankrupted by an unsuccessful run.

“Since 1996, however, the PBH Free Fringe has sought to provide an alternative, offering performers a venue for free, provided that the audience aren’t charged for watching. Instead, there’s a voluntary collection at the end of each show.”

In James’s second Edinburgh engagement, he will host the stand-up showcase Yorkshire Comedy Cabaret 3 from August 6 to 27 at 3.45pm at the 300-capacity Base on Cowgate, the largest Free Fringe venue.

“‘We’re delighted to have an afternoon slot at Base for the Yorkshire lads,” says compere James. “I did a couple of guest spots in the same mid-afternoon slot last year and both shows easily had 200 in the audience – virtually unheard of in Fringe terms.

“This cabaret show is now in its third year and you can expect acidic satire from Graham Lee, pithy one-liners from Richard Scully, burlesque from Trixie Passion, and some guest spots from Fringe favourites.”

James, by profession a graphic designer, first made his mark on the York comedy scene by setting up the Black Comedy @ The Black Swan venture in October 2006, followed by the “more left-field, alternative” nights at Bar 1331 from February 2007.

He later turned black to gold in the alchemist’s tradition, when transferring his Tuesday night sessions from the Black Swan to Comedy Gold at the Golden Fleece in February 2009.

In December 2009, however, he closed his 1331 Comedy bills in York and regular night in Leeds at The Smirking Room to develop his own stand-up career.

“I haven’t really missed the logistics of promoting comedy nights and have enjoyed having more time to focus on my own act,” he says.

“Once again the Edinburgh Fringe is nearly upon us and you can follow my Fringe progress through my Twitter updates at @jcbeermat.”