(Dominic Cavendish’s article appeared in the Telegraph, 8/23.)
If you want to see stand-up comedy on the Fringe, then you’re spoilt for with hour upon hour of the stuff. Seek theatre of the highest order, however, and the experience can feel like a dispiriting scrabble after elusive quality.
Take heart, though: Summerhall, a venue that until recently was an out of the way up-and-comer, has now come into its own and pretty much saved the day, with recording-breaking attendances and an unrivalled intellectual buzz.