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Bohemian angst and clashing egos sum up the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as seen through the lens of writer/director Annie Griffin. Having made her name with sitcom The Book Group, she deftly juggles an ensemble of characters in Festival, which includes This Life's Daniela Nardini and Green Wing's Stephen Mangan. Building to the final night Comedy Awards, she creates a pressure cooker atmosphere that bubbles with funny moments even if it ends a little dry of emotion.

Thankfully Griffin isn't afraid of odious characters like the egocentric TV comic Sean (Stephen Mangan), who threatens to drive his recovering alcoholic PA (Raquel Cassidy) back to the demon drink. When he's not haranguing her, he's oozing all over young comedienne Nicky (Lucy), who's in contention for the Comedy Award along with Irish funnyman Tommy (Chris O'Dowd). He's so desperate to win that he beds one of the judges, sneering critic Joan Gerard (Daniela Nardini). Then there's the idealistic Faith (Lyndsey Marshal), who baffles the crowd with her experimental one-woman show.

"SOME SHARPLY WRITTEN DIALOGUE"

Faith's storyline is the least compelling, which is highlighted when her friendship with a veteran actor (Clive Russell) ends in a tragedy that fails to move. The love story between Tommy and Joan is similarly half-hearted, but a steady stream of laughs compensates for the lack of tears. Nicky doing her impersonation of an overbearing Jewish mother while in bed with Sean is the most outrageous in a slew of delightfully irreverent gags. Lust, greed and betrayal are where Griffin is most convincing and she cuts to the bone with some sharply written dialogue. While it fails to tug the heartstrings, Festival will surely tickle your funny bone.