I’m not even sure why Holly Walsh is bothering with the Edinburgh Fringe this year. If playing the Festival is all about being discovered it is too late for her. She has already established herself as a skilful practitioner of the deceptively tough art of telling a gag-packed story. And she has already fought her way into the male-dominated bastion of Mock the Week and been on Would I Lie To You? and Never Mind The Buzzcocks. I’m joking of course. Not about her achievements, but with the suggestion that she doesn’t need to bother with Edinburgh. The art of comedy is about more than panel games and every comedian committed to their craft should do the month in Scotland. “Exams for clowns,” as Andrew Maxwell calls it. It cannot fail to make you a better performer and, as I have been wittering on about in this paragraph, Holly Walsh is a pretty good one already. She previews her show, Never Had It, alongside Nick Doody at the Crown Comedy Club in Blackheath tonight.

Holly Walsh is at the Assembly George Square Studios from July 30 - August 24. Tickets here,