When is a cunning stunt not cunning?

One agent/promoter was telling me he had a stunt to publicise one of his acts which he reckoned was going to put all the traffic in Edinburgh into gridlock and he was trying to persuade me this would be worthy of an increasingly prestigious Malcolm Hardee Cunning Stunt Award nomination. But this would be more likely to get the act thrown out of their venue, him prosecuted and the show loathed by locals rather than an award nomination.

My Edinburgh: Aisling Bea

A comic and actress from Co Kildare in Ireland with an easy stage presence and cracking wit, Aisling Bea has enjoyed a rapid rise.

Reviewer review: Craig Angus (The Skinny)

Craig Angus is a good example of how The Skinny's new approach to reviews may not be working. Reviewers now have to see a whole bunch of shows and then, when they're ready to share their accumulated wealth of opinion, they have to sew them all together with a causal thread. So The Skinny is not so much publishing reviews this year as putting out articles about shows and furnishing them with stars as it goes.

Reviewer review: Izzie Fernandes (EdFringe Review)

I don't know how YOU review Fringe reviewers, but I do it like this: I make a document of all their reviews so far and go through it with a highlighter: yellow for things I would question, red for bits that I like. But the reviews of Izzie Fernandes were so streaked with yellow you might think they had jaundice.

My darkest hour

Barrie the Bear recalls sixty awful minutes in which he nearly gave up on reviewing - and on life.

Jimeoin is playing his 23rd Fringe Festival

We've been catching up with the veteran comic who admits he is a huge fan of Billy Connolly and once received an RUC badge from the Scots funnyman.

The BBC looks back at Edinburgh Festival's origins

Edinburgh's Festival Fringe is in full swing, with artists, comedians and musicians packing out the city's venues, and performing over a thousand shows a day. The Fringe is just one part of the Festival that the BBC's Charlie Stayt looks back at.

Pictures: Danny And The Human Zoo red carpet

Lenny Henry made a rare red carpet appearance as he attended the premiere screening of Danny and the Human Zoo in his hometown of Dudley on Thursday night.

How I made Chinese laugh

Irish-American, Putonghua-speaking comedian Des Bishop talks baout what material works best with Chinese audiences.

10 things that are funny in Oz but not in Edinburgh

Antipodean sketch trio Aunty Donna don their ripple pants...

The energy, the sweat, the adrenalin...

Steve Hall chooses his Perfect Playlist.

Edinburgh sketch comedy roundup

From the Boosh-like Beard to Gein's Family Giftshop willy-jokes and Twisted Loaf's gurning grotesquery, here are five more festival sets to see.

This week's best Edinburgh comedy

Previews of Sheeps Skewer The News, Nish Kumar and Richard Gadd.

Newsjack: the comedy show that anyone can write for

Calling all comedy writers! Newsjack, the topical sketch show that anyone can write for is back for its thirteenth series and we need you to send us your comedy gold!

"If the street is clean, your show is a failure."

Yesterday morning started with me sitting in Fringe Central and 82-year-old Lynn Ruth Miller coming up to me.

Our Fringe favourites: Part 6

In the latest of her daily guides to our contributors' appearances at the Edinburgh Fringe, Siân Bevan raises a glass of something unpleasant to the wickedly funny Kiri Pritchard-McLean.

Fringe Q&As: John Robins

John Robins discusses battered Mars bars, bagpipes and walking across America with a unicycle.

Fringe Q&As: Stuart Black

Stuart Black discusses Lemsips & Cigarettes, Highlander and howling at the Moon.

Fringe Q&As: Chris Stokes

Chris Stokes discusses seagulls, baked potatoes and Walking in the Air.

Jeremy Hardy: Labour trying to rig leadership election

A left-wing comedian has said he was told by the Labour party that he could not vote in its leadership election.

Jeremy Hardy said he paid £3 to become a Labour member in order to become eligible to vote, but that he has supported other parties in the past.

He said he received a letter sent to people who are turned down, which said Labour had reason to believe that he "didn't support the aims and values" of the party.

Craig Hill falls for the #WOWwagon (Link expired)

Craig Hill visited the #WOWwagon to talk about his new Fringe show Playing With My Selfie - and quickly became a fan of Susie the camper van.

Jimeoin visits the #WOWwagon (Link expired)

Fringe favourite Jimeoin stopped by the #WOWwagon to talk about his new show Yeehaa! (his 24th year, no less), having his poster show up on TV, and how he accidentally got into comedy.

One Man Breaking Bad in the #WOWwagon (Link expired)

Actor Miles Allen (the star of One Man Breaking Bad) visits the #WOWwagon to perform a taster of his show - 60 Breaking Bad episodes parodied in 60 minutes, yo.

Hal Cruttenden's top picks for week three of the Fringe

Ireland is one of the superpowers of comedy. I've found three acts to keep them at the top for the next generation as well.

The burden of sexiness and how to deal with it

[[Elf Lyons]] has some tips.

Interview: Baba Brinkman, Rap Guide to Climate Chaos

Interview with Baba Brinkman.

Interview: Sophie Pelham, Country Files

A chat with Sophie Pelham.

Interview: Thom Tuck, Scaramouche Jones

A chat with Thom Tuck.

Louise Reay interview

The British documentary-maker turned clown performs her entire show in a language most of her audience does not understand.

The Bad Education Movie review

Jack Whitehall's terrible teacher returns for a pretty terrible big screen transfer.

The biggest threat to comedy? Self-censorship

Yes, most comedians can say what they want. But they don't.

Helen Arney: how to see sounds

Pause, take some time out, and discover the eye-opening, ear-opening world of seeing sound.

David Mitchell drags Radio Times into the fray in WILTY

The panel show captain gave us some photoshoot advice, all while trying to decide if Pointless' Richard Osman once shared a jacuzzi with the Eggheads...

Preview: Ryecart, Blair, Bush and Bunga

Star of The High Life, Patrick Ryecart enjoys a different sort of high life as director of a Fringe political satire on the world of Bush, Blair and Berlusconi.

Preview: Gein's Family Giftshow

Winners of the Chortle Best Newcomer Award and Fosters Comedy Award Best Newcomer nominees Gein's Family Giftshow return to the Fringe and reflect on meeting their comedy heroes.

Preview: Glenn Wool's woolly thinking

Canadian funnyman Glenn Wool's escapades have taken him around the world. In his new show at Assembly George Square, discover if there is an unseen companion travelling with him and if there is, is it an inner monologue or a heckling demigod? Here, the comedian recalls a recent trip to Japan.

The unsung greatness of George Cole

He was known to most as Minder's Arthur Daley, but there was far more to George Cole than used cars and cigars, says Simon Heffer.

Balls of Steel 10 years on - Where are they now?

Mark Dolan headed up a team of fearless comedians that first aired on Channel 4 10 years ago this week.

Nina Conti: Don't blame me, I'm not my monkey's keeper

Going ape: Her sidekick Monkey has outspoken views on women and charity workers Claes Gellerbrink.

Edinburgh comedy roundup: the best of the rest - week 2

In Cahoots' Muslim cabbie meets lager lout, right-wing man-of-the-people Nick Cody and hilarious Westlife groupie Sofie Hagen ... it's the fringe acts that almost got away.

Meet Twins - Ed Fringe 2015

We are Jack Barry and Annie McGrath and together we form kooky sketch comedy duo, Twins. Our show this year is about the spectre of death which looms over us, dogging our every waking step. We're also using the show to try out some new accents.

Meet Beasts - Ed Fringe 2015

Three idiots with dreams of stardom and no technical expertise attempt to film a live recording of their best ever show.

Meet EastEnd Cabaret - Ed Fringe 2015

We are a gin-drinking, accordion-wielding, man-beast-riding, multi-award-winning musical comedy duo! Deviant diva (Bernadette Byrne) and half-moustachioed musical weirdo (Victor Victoria) have returned to Edinburgh for two nights only with a ridiculously raucous hour of their most salacious songs: all-filth, no filler! It's dark, hilarious and dangerously inappropriate. And unmissable!

Idil Sukan: awarding the comedy creatives

If you're a Fringe regular, there is a chance you've seen more of Idil Sukan's work at this Festival than any other artist. Because for over a decade now, she has been behind countless photos and poster designs that you will have seen pasted up all over this city each August (including those pictured here).

An ode to ginger (or the redheaded renaissance)

Rebecca Perry is presenting her Confessions Of A Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl at the Gilded Balloon this Fringe. But before all that, she'd like to take a minute or two to hail the mighty redheaded renaissance of late. And why the hell not?

Astrid Rot on parties and how to avoid bad guests

Astrid Rot from Europop and art rock band Die Roten Punkte talks her love of parties, and gives tips on how to avoid bad party guests.

Black Wednesday / half star ratings

Every now and then we at FringePig like to feature something that complements our output but requires absolutely no effort on our part, except that of lying back and basking in reflected glory.

So here is Back Row podcast #14; a conversation between two reviewers as imagined by Susan Harrison and Gemma Arrowsmith.

You should probably follow them or subscribe or whatever it is you young people do with podcasts. All my stuff's still on wax cylinders.

Enjoy big names but look out for young talent

With 3,314 different shows on at this month's Fringe, there's something for everyone, writes Phil McHugh.

The Bad Education Movie review

Silly and certainly not for the faint-hearted, The Bad Education Movie will leave newcomers either offended or bemused, and it's hard to see where any potential sequel could go from here (maybe that trip to Vegas?). Nevertheless, it achieves its goal to entertain fans of the TV series with much of the same, on a wider canvas, including a typically chaotic finale.

The Bad Education Movie review

The Bad Education Movie won't change the world, and viewers probably have to be both British and in the right frame of mind to best appreciate its highjinks, but this film will make a world of difference to Jack Whitehall's career, offering opportunities similar to those taken by James Corden and Ricky Gervais.

Egg breaks a few conventions

My find of the Fringe is George Egg.

Ones to watch

Alice Jones selects Shappi Khorsandi, Sam Simmons and Tom Parry as her shows to watch.

The Bad Education Movie review

It's funny - oftentimes laugh-out-loud funny - with toilet humour playing its part, but rubbing shoulders with clever word-play, some good slapstick, homages to E.T. and The Wicker Man, a spot of social satire, and dick jokes. Lots of dick jokes.