The first comedy festival on the Edinburgh Fringe? You’re joking – right?

After all, this stuff has been with us for so long and so successfully that comedians all over the world nowknow that to make it here is, well, to make it. You can’t begin to count the acts who came to Edinburgh wetbehind the jeers and ended up as household names: French and Saunders, The League of Gentlemen,Stewart Lee, Graham Norton, The Mighty Boosh, Jo Brand, Russell Brand (no relation – allegedly), Paul Merton,Eddie Izzard, Jerry Sadowitz, Rhona Cameron, Count Arthur Strong and Rich Hall among them. And many – most? – still just can’t keep away.But that’s the point. To make room for the favourites and to make yet more room for the rising stars, Edinburghneeded this: the radical creation of a new festival-within-a-festival, separated but integrated, with space andresources to nurture and display the finest comedic talents under the joint banners of the most prestigiousvenues in town.So welcome, please, to the 2008 inaugural Edinburgh Comedy Festival, in which Assembly, Gilded Balloon,Pleasance and Underbelly are collaborating to showcase every style of contemporary comedy - be itstand-up, sketch, improv, poetry, musical or comic theatre.One clear selection, in one concise brochure, to help you make your choices. And to make it easier still to planahead: all tickets, to all shows, can be bought at all our box offices.For more info:

www.edcomfest.com

Have a great festival.

William, Karen, Anthony, Ed and Charlie

edcomest.com | c1