The Gilded Balloon is set to serve up Edinburgh Fringe comedy to a global audience when it launches a new show which will be streamed live to the internet for free.

Festival Frank, dubbed "the show which doesn't mince its words", will see big name Fringe acts perform, be interviewed and interact live with an audience viewing the show online.

It is thought this is the first time at the Edinburgh Festival that an online audience will be able to interact with comedians as they perform. This will be achieved by a live chat box linked to the video stream; and heckling, asking questions and poking fun will be encouraged by Nick Wealthall, the show's presenter.

There will be two hour-long shows each week, with the stream starting at 8pm. The first show is on Sunday 7th August, and will feature veteran performer and I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue stalwart Barry Cryer, Fringe chat show host and One Show regular Hardeep Singh Kohli, and Australian stand-up comic Fiona O'Laughlin.

Subsequent shows are scheduled for Tuesday 9th, Tuesday 16th, Thursday 18th, Sunday 21st and Thursday 25th of August. Guest booked to appear on these shows include stand-up veteran Arthur Smith, madcap Mighty Boosh star Rich Fulcher, comic magician Ali Cook, Bleak Expectations actor and award-winning stand-up Tom Allen, and Stand Up For The Week regular Andi Osho.

The organisers say: "This new offering featuring some of the festival's biggest names, viewable wherever you are, will be available to an unlimited audience twice a week. This is the first time Festival Frank have brought their show to the Edinburgh Fringe and the team are very excited to be working with some of the best live comedians around."

Internet users will be able to watch these show live via British Comedy Guide or the shows official website, www.festivalfrank.com. To keep up-to-date with the latest news about the shows, find FestivalFrank on Facebook and follow @FestivalFrank on Twitter.