Heard the one about the Edinburgh Fringe? You’ll be forgiven if you haven’t given it much thought this year, with the Olympics keeping the world’s eye on London and newspapers devoting space to sport rather than arts.
For those heading north to make their name in this annual comedy harvest festival, that could spell doom. But the picture is a complicated one. There’s arguably less stand-out star wattage this year, which should afford a good chance for the outsider to shine, just as Will Adamsdale did in 2004 and Laura Solon a year later. But there are also more performers in the programme than ever.