Guests must be drunk for comic's Fringe chat show

COMEDIAN Arthur Smith is set to return to the Edinburgh Festival to host a show built around the drinking habit that nearly killed him.

While the funny man will remain stone-cold sober during his chat show, his interviewees will have to be drunk. Guests will be breathalysed to make sure they are over the limit.

He said: "It's an excuse for them to be drunk, I suppose. People generally are quite drunk when they go on late night chat shows in Edinburgh. Normally they would try to be sensible. In this show, they've no need to be. In fact, it would be disappointing."

The show features stand-up mixed with facts and figures about alcohol and its consequences, before Smith leads his audience into the main event: his celebrity drunk.

Smith almost died due to his alcohol consumption. He was seriously ill for four months and is now diabetic.

The show will play from August 8 at the Pleasure Dome.

A second unusual act at this year's Fringe will see comedians and world-class wrestlers face each other in the ring.

The Pleasance line-up will also feature the debut of an Eastern European theatre group feted by the likes of Mick Jagger, Steven Spielberg and Kevin Spacey.

Comedians Brendon Burns and Andrew Maxwell will also be taking part in the one-off show at the Pleasance.