Francesca Martinez

Francesca Martinez returns to Edinburgh having won the 2000 Festival's Open Mic Award, with her first full-length show, I'mperfect. A mixture of standup and sketches, I'mperfect addresses her experiences of growing up with cerebral palsy and overcoming the teenage insecurities we all face. 'I wanted to make the show universal,' says Martinez, 'even though certain aspects of my so-called problem are quite unique. I had to struggle with my perception of myself but that's what everyone does; everyone has to struggle to accept and feel good about themselves.'

Martinez attributes her hardwon self-acceptance to her stand-up work. 'Before I did stand-up, I wouldn't talk about my disability in public; I thought if I didn't mention it, people wouldn't see it - which, looking back, was a load of rubbish.'

Ironically, Martinez wouldn't have considered going into comedy if not for her father's film project about, surprise surprise, a female stand-up comedian with cerebral palsy. On the drawing board for several years, the film looks likely to go into production in 2003.

'I was aware that stand-up was a specific skill and knew I couldn't bluff it. I got into it so I could face the film's producers with as much ammunition as possible - and now they're holding out for me to take the lead part. It's great because they could have got Julia Roberts to do the wobbly thing and she could have won another Oscar.'

I'mperfect sees Martinez make her point wittily and succinctly with material ranging from the time a shop security guard told her off when he thought she was impersonating a disabled customer, to rants against the advertising industry, culminating in a Reservoir Dogs-themed finale in which Martinez gives an audience member a haircut. Won't it come unstuck if no-one volunteers? 'It's kamikaze comedy,' she says. 'But I've learned that if you push hard enough there's always someone willing. If it comes to it, though, I might have to lock the doors.'

Until Aug 26, Pleasance, 60 The Pleasance, 8.45pm, £9 to £10, £8 to £9 concs.