'We have one of the best comedy scenes in the UK'

"We have such a fantastic comedy scene," said Amy Mason (L)

Three comedians have said they are "excited" to represent "one of the country's best comedy scenes" at Edinburgh Fringe.

Dani Johns, Louise Leigh and Amy Mason, who all live in Bristol, are preparing to take their solo shows to the world's biggest arts festival, which runs from 2 to 26 August.

"I'm slightly nervous and terrified," said Ms Johns, who has only ever performed collaborative shows at the event.

"One thing I think we can shout about as comedians going up to Edinburgh is how great the comedy scene is in Bristol," added Ms Mason.

The stand-up, whose deadpan show Free Mason explores parenting and her separation from her ex-husband, will make her debut at the festival, playing almost every night throughout the month.

"I feel today like I'm going to vomit," she said.

"It's a real challenge. It's daunting.

But she added: "It feels like a real rite of passage."

"I always feel like I'm representing Bristol," said Dani Johns, who was born and bred in the city

"I've not quite got to the vomiting stage yet," said Ms Johns, adding: "I'm really excited."

Her show, Cringe is about "a variety of embarrassing things that I've done, said or witnessed", she explained.

For Ms Leigh, who is originally from Edinburgh, she is "nauseous with anticipation".

Her show, Louise Leigh: Distracted, explores "being a mother of teenagers and menopausal and trying to live life like a cold nipple".

She said as well as the shows being important to an artist's career, "it's just as important to your creativity".

"I'm constantly split between my role as a mum and my role as a comedian and artist, and to have a month where I am just a comedian, that is amazing."

The three said while they are often the only woman on a comedy bill, Edinburgh brings all the female comedians together who are often spread out across the circuit.

"I remember being like, there's so many girls here, this is great," said Ms Johns.

Ms Mason said: "Men dominate a lot of scenes regionally, but in the mainstream... I think women are getting a lot more attention"

Ms Leigh joked that she prepared for the event by building up muscle, and glute strength "because there's a lot hills in Edinburgh".

But she added she was mostly trying to "build up" the show and "write as much as possible".

"I make a lot of lists because you're going for a month," she said, adding that you do not want to forget your shampoo.

Louise Leigh is looking forward to spending time with other comics and "seeing all the best performance work in the world"

Ms Leigh's family still live in Scotland, so she said it "feels like a spiritual homecoming" to her.

"I left when I was 18 to go and be a comedy actor and then just didn't," she said.

"And it took me till I was in my 40s to just go 'this isn't going away. I need to go and do it'.

"And so it's deeply healing because I'm up there doing what I promised myself that I would do when I left."

Representing Bristol

"I definitely feel that there's a feeling we're going off to represent the city and the last few gigs in July locally before we go always have quite a sort of celebratory [feeling]," added Ms Leigh.

"It's like being waved off at Temple Meads by crowds throwing their hats."

Ms Mason added: "We have such a fantastic comedy scene.

"I would say probably one of the best in the country, if not the best in the country.

"I think that's something we can massively shout about to other comedians and the industry."