AL Murray, Pub Landlord, English saloon philosopher and FKUP political agent provocateur, is setting up his summer pop-up gaff in the White Rose Rotunda, a mirrored German spiegeltent, for four shows in two days at York's Great Yorkshire Fringe today and tomorrow.

North meets South as Charles Hutchinson grills the Guvnor on saloon bars, tents, sandals, Greece, fracking and Yorkshire.

What makes the perfect saloon bar on an English summer’s day, Guvnor?

"The summer sun refracted through a half-drunk glass of your favourite tipple. Nothing really beats the glint of sunshine through your pint, the glass casting a shadow over your pork scratchings."

You will be performing in a spiegeltent, a German invention, in York. Do you like tents and what is your advice on the best way to erect one?

"Tents and entertainment go hand in hand, it is true, but I’m not the man to ask about this. I am not one of life’s camping people and everyone knows getting a pop-up tent back into its bag is nigh on impossible. But I imagine you put the middle pole up first and go from there. And remember: at no point should you read the instructions".

No clues in the brochure, so can you say who will be your saloon guests in York and why?

"Ah well, that’s for me to know and you to find out."

Where do you stand on this one: sandals with or without socks on our hot days of summer? Or maybe not sandals at all?

"Never wear socks and sandals. Why? Well, it’s known that you should look to the greats, look to the originals for all style tips. For instance: if you want to know how to wear a trilby you look at Humphrey Bogart. Want to know how to wear a mac, Inspector Clouseau. And nowhere have I ever seen a picture of Jesus wearing socks with his sandals. So never, ever wear socks with sandals."

If ancient Greece was a tragedy, what is modern Greece and, as a mighty fine economist yourself – as we discovered in your last Grand Opera House show in York – what might cure Greece of its financial woes?

"The pound. That’s the answer. We’ve stayed out of the Euro and it’s not like our economy has gone down the toilet…. Actually let me get back to you on that one."

Where do you stand on fracking, or don’t you give a frack?

"Like anyone sensible, I am all in favour of fracking except where I live."

Did you see that General Election result coming: the country as a whole, I mean, not yours in Thanet South?

"Oh yes, a total shock. Who would have thought that the country didn’t want Ed Miliband as PM?"

Dammit, Thanet. What does it say about the intellectual cognoscenti of your constituency when only 318 lights were switched on sufficiently brightly to vote for you on May 7? What a FKUP that was.

"Well, it may seem like an insignificant number, but it’s 18 more than the number of people the Spartans needed to save civilisation."

As your rival in alternative political philosophy, is there any point left to Russell "Don't Vote" Brand?

"There aren’t many to the left of Russell now. Good luck to him though, it’s rare that someone is prepared to stick to a joke for over a year before delivering a punchline. Hats off to him."

Will England win the World Cup in 2022 as Football Association chairman Greg Dyke predicts? If not, why not?

"I have no crystal ball, but I confidently predict that England will play some football in 2022. Beyond that I’m not going to say."

And finally, as you’re playing the Great Yorkshire Fringe, can you think of anything that makes Yorkshire great?

"Well, I could say something to please the locals like 'it’s not Lancashire' and the crowd might go wild, but that kind of easy negativity isn’t my style. No: I’d say it’s the simple fact that Yorkshire is the motherlode of British Common Sense, down-to-earth thinking, and inhabited by basic simple level headed reasonable sensible no nonsense tight people."

Al Murray – The Pub Landlord's Saloon, Great Yorkshire Fringe, White Rose Rotunda, Parliament Street, York, July 24 and 25, 5pm and 9.30pm. Box office: 01904 500600 or greatyorkshirefringe.com