August is always a deliciously busy month; not least of all because it’s Edinburgh time! A fun wallow in networking and rubbernecking: and it’s not just comedy. Not by a long chalk! In fact, this year’s theatrical landmark isn’t even part of the Fringe. It’s the truly revolutionary Simon McBurney solo show The Encounter, from Complicite. An extraordinary experience. Other theatre ranges from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Shakespeare Musical Willy’s Bitches, to the powerful Simian parable Kafka’s Ape, starring Howard Rosenstein. There’s beautiful clowning in Eric the Fred, spirited stand-up from Suzy Bennett at the Counting House, and even balletic juggling in 4×4 Ephemeral Architectures. Hey, Edinburgh in August has *everything* you could possibly want. That includes celebrations of comedy’s past; notably this year Kevin McNally and most of The Missing Hancocks team taking the BBC recording experience North of the Border, Simon Cartwright’s uncanny Bob Monkhouse at the Assembly Hall, and Simon Schatzberger’s beautiful Woody Allen ’60s stand-up set at Frankenstein’s. Simply exquisite!