Liam Rudden: Fancy a Festival show? I've got just the ticket

Published on Friday 14 May 2010 14:55

HARD to believe maybe, but with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe still more than 12 weeks away the Capital has been buzzing with London PRs all keen to push their 2010 clients and secure as many column inches as possible.

In the past they have tried to do that without giving away the names of their star turns – these used to be held back to ensure that the Fringe Society had something to announce at the launch of the Fringe programme. No more.

Whether because of the ever more commercial nature of Edinburgh's annual arts festival or just because in the current financial climate promoters are panicking over sales, an increasing number of tickets are going on sale before the official programme launch – which this year is on 10 June.

So, just to ensure you don't miss out, here are some of the hot tickets currently on sale, just head to the website for the appropriate venue.

At Underbelly, the new production of the award-winning musical Five Guys Named Moe, starring Clarke Peters of The Wire, is already selling, as are tickets for stand-ups Danny Bhoy, John Bishop, Jim Jefferies and punk poet extraordinaire John Cooper Clarke, who is doing seven late night shows from 13-19 August. Over at Assembly, right now, you can grab briefs for Jason Byrne, Mark Watson's Do I Know You?, Simon Callow starring in Shakespeare – The Man From Stratford, and Busting Out!, an unsupported celebration of the female bosom.

Other names returning this year and currently on sale include Reginald D Hunter and Daniel Sloss at The Pleasance. While Jim Bowen, Craig Hill, both at The Gilded Balloon, and Jimeoin and The Magnets, both at the Underbelly, go on sale later today. Enjoy.