麻豆约拍

For more than 50 years, what is now the biggest arts festival in the world has been at the heart of British comedy.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is where our aspiring stand-ups, writers and comic actors head each August to cut their teeth, catch the eye of talent scouts and take part in a kind of comedy summer camp.

In this one-off special, stand-up comedian Stephen K Amos presents highlights from a Radio 4 comedy spectacular, recorded live on Edinburgh's Royal Mile.

There are stand-up sets from Miles Jupp, Richard Herring, Susan Calman and Andrew Lawrence as well as an abbreviated round of Just A Minute, in which Stephen tries Ian Messiter's classic game for the first time, with help from Nicholas Parsons, Paul Merton, Jenny Eclair and Gyles Brandreth.

Stephen also trawls the bars and gutters of Edinburgh, talking to Fringe veterans, promoters and newcomers about their experiences of the festival, hoping to find out what draws hundreds of comedians -and almost as many audience members- up to Auld Reekie every Summer.

Interviewees include: Simon Evans, Pappy's, Tom Wrigglesworth, Mark Watson, Roisin Conaty, Karen Koren, and Justin Moorhouse.

Produced by Colin Anderson.