Fest Super-Journo Steve Bennett has been playing cards. A special treat for collectors of Fringe ephemera is spreading around the Pleasance Courtyard: comedy Trumps.
Normally, the biggest trophies for festival-goers are badges, handed out at the end of certain shows as an effective form of publicity and worn like medals by the battle-hardened veterans who laden their lapels with as many as possible.
But that's yesterday's news, thanks to the Paramount Comedy Channel, which has been handing out special packs of the childhood game based upon Fringe shows.
The likes of Adam Hills, Jenny Éclair, Rob Brydon, Marcus Brigstocke and Helen Lederer all feature, competing on such factors as festival appearances and shock factor.
For the record, Phil Nichol and Janice Phayre have the most appearances ¼ their combined score of 19 trumping Stewart Lee's solo 16; while Ross Noble has the most awards at 17.
The most shocking comic, by their reckoning, is a tie between Brendon Burns and Viz creators Simon Donald and Alex Collier, who both score a perfect 10.
In the controversial field of snogability, Lucy Porter, Scott Capurro and Ross Noble are among the six scoring the maximum, while poor old Stewart Lee and Chris Addison (surely not?) score a pitiful zero.
Comedy can be a cruel business sometimes.
