To be “utterly at odds” with something is a bold claim. It suggests conflicting turmoil and a life of unease. So when Tom Wigglesworth, renowned Yorkshire comedian, titled his new show “Utterly At Odds With The Universe”, you’re guessing things are going to get deep.

Wigglesworth started his comedic journey at Salford University where he studied electrical engineering – quite a world away from where he’s ended up, gracing stages and receiving nominations for the Edinburgh Comedy Award. He’s gearing up for his performance at The Gulbenkian on Monday and took some time out to talk to InQuire’s Meg Weal about comedy, family and putting yourself out there.

Did you always know comedy was something you wanted to do?

When I was at uni people started telling me to give it a go – probably so I’d stop annoying them really. It took me a few years to pluck up the courage but people kept telling me “you should try that, you should try that” and then I started going to Open Mic Clubs and thinking “I could actually not be bad at this,” so I gave it a go.

I was 27 or 28 so it was years and years before I got brave enough. It’s a terrifying concept.

Were you family surprised when you told them you were moving from engineering to comedy?

I don’t think they (his family) believe that I do comedy full time. I think they think it’s just a hobby and that I still have a proper job. They don’t see that comedy can actually be an occupation.

You focus on your family a lot in your comedy, do you think that’s key to your comedy?

In this instance I found a box of cassette tapes that had a bunch of interviews between me and my granddad from when I was about eight. So, I’m just using that as a starting point.

They tend to follow a similar theme – being that I mess things up and then have to fix things up.

Some people are political, some people are surreal but I’m just neither of those things. I’ve just got such a normal and crazy family…they, my parents in particular, just never cease to amaze me. So I don’t really have to look far before something has written itself.

What advice would you give any budding student comedians?

You’ve just got to try it and you’ve just got to fail – lots. That’s the only way to learn really. I sounds very cliché, but I didn’t want to get older and look back and think “I could have done that.” And had that regret. I think a lot of people think they can do comedy, and you might as well just try and it might go terribly wrong but it won’t matter really.

It’s really good fun – as terrifying as it is.

For an evening of laughs as you follow a man in his poignant emotional journey get yourself to The Gulbekian on 6^th October at 7.30pm.