A cheeky street performer from Sidmouth has hit the big time and is taking his show to the Edinburgh Festival – but will miss FolkWeek for the first time in 13 years.

Self-admitted Boris Johnson lookalike Goronwy Thom has gained a loyal following honing his act in Market Place since he was 18.

But as he and his cabaret company, Slightly Fat Features, prepare for the international arts celebration, he has said he will never turn his back on the town that made him.

“Sidmouth has been brilliant for testing out new material,” said the 32-year-old. “I have some hardcore fans at Folk Week – some people say they come just to see my shows. I’ll be sorry to miss it.”

He and the other solo acts that make up Slightly Fat Features have performed on television, radio and at festivals around the globe, but Goronwy thinks this could be their big break. “Edinburgh is the biggest shop window for our kind of stuff in the world,” he said.

The Alexandria Road resident said that he is tied to Sidmouth, not least by his partner Rosie and their baby son, Sandy.

He and his comedy troupe will be putting on two ‘farewell’ shows in the Manor Pavilion on May 29 and 30.

“A lot of it’s been seen in Sidmouth before – but not like this,” said Goronwy, who has been performing since the age of four. “The show we’ll take to Edinburgh is going to be a ‘best of’.”

The Manor Pavilion performances are partly to thank theatre manager Graham Whitlock, who saw the group’s potential and took a risk on them.

The troupe will then be performing at the Pleasance Theatre, one of the most prestigious venues at the Edinburgh Festival, from July 31 until August 26.