Which is the best comedy act at the Fringe?

Is it the one that the critics say it is?

There’s an award for that and it’s called the Foster’s.

Or is it the one that the audiences say it is?

Well now there’s an award for that too and it’s called the Fisters.

Cast in pure Jesmonite, the clenched fist of comedic triumph will be handed to the comedy act with the highest EdTwinge Karma rating.

(Karma is the net positivity rating for each act at the Fringe based on what audience members have said about it on Twitter.)

So The Fisters represents the views of the many rather than the views of the few. It is unofficial and therefore unfettered by politics. It is transparent and democratic. It is unpolished, rough around the edges and experimental.

It’s the one that this correspondent would want to win.

The 2011 EdTwinge Fisters award will be announced during the final Gilded Balloon Comedy Podcast recording at 12pm on Sunday 28th August. Details here.

At the time of writing there are four (yes four) comedy acts all tied on a Karma score of 94. If these circumstances the winner will be decided by the act with the highest “noise”.

(Noise is the total number of tweets mentioning an act. Only tweets expressing a positive or negative sentiment count towards Karma.)

Join us tomorrow to find out which comedy act has, in the eyes of the people that matter most, made the best fist of the 2011 Fringe.

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“If you’re performing or simply visiting Edinburgh for funtimes this August and you think a webmaster is Spiderman, then you need to sort your life out.

It was barely a few years ago when I would go through the Fringe programme, correlate what I wanted to see into an Excel spreadsheet that I could sort by start time, end time and my own personal rating out of 5 to make sure I got the most out of the Fringe, but the geek within me doesn’t get that chance now thanks to the explosion of websites, apps and twitter giving me a minute-by-minute lowdown on what to see.

Having done 4 years worth of shows I am having a year off this year, a bit like Glastonbury, I have a fallow one in every five, but this does mean I can now go up without having really planned to see much, and crowdsource the shows to see and avoid on Twitter.

I use Twitter far too much, as an audience member I will be publishing 140 character reviews of each show I see after seeing it, I have just shy of 4000 followers including some well known faces – ohhhh get me. This means that if I see something that I like, 4000 people will know about it. If other people talk about it on Twitter to their followers, which they are likely to do, if they hash tag it so it appears on sites like this, that is an awful lot of free PR.

How can you take advantage of all that free PR. Simple? Use Twitter, there are a lot of shows I’m planning on seeing this year because I’ve heard about them on twitter from the the performer or their fans.

Last year I found myself hugely engaged with my audience via Twitter. Getting an instant reaction to a show is a wonderfully satisfying, if not mentally disturbing thing. The important this is not to just promote your show, but to chat to people, reply, offering insight, offer entertainment, offer interest. Something as stupid as me complaining about the lack of crackers for cheese in the shop by my flat, saw someone bring me a pack to my show, which meant not only did I sell a show ticket but I also got a free pack of crackers.

If you’re interesting enough people will care about what you’re saying, how your shows are going and hopefully come along. It’s not a one way street, interact, offer your own advice, tell some funnies.

It’s all straight forward, be a nice person, use twitter, talk about what you’re going through, it’s good therapy at the very least, but hopefully a twitter buzz will start to generate and people will see your show because of it.

Don’t go thinking you can get away without flyering though.”

Thanks Chris, you’re spot on about Twitter, it’s a game-changer and hugely useful tool for acts at the Fringe.

In EdTwinge’s not-so-humble opinion; an act that says it doesn’t do Twitter is like an act that says it don’t do group sex.

A lifestyle choice yes, and not compulsory, but both unthinkable in this day and age.

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So now the fringe is just about over we can reveal that secret sauce that’s kept the team running over the last 4 weeks:

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Well, those ghastly days of secrecy are long gone. I can now talk with gay abandon about my WWII code-breaking exploits until interviewers politely ask me to stop. Or, failing that, until they fall asleep on top of their microphones. (Apologies to John Humphrys for my indiscretion, there.)

The past is the past, though. Onwards and upwards. Tally-ho, and all that rot. These days, when I should be spending my time being offered piña coladas by accommodating young Barbadians in their Speedos, I’m crunching data and performing algorithmic alchemy in a cramped basement in Edinburgh. A basement, moreover, that smells of smoky bacon crisps and marijuana (Acapulco Gold, if I’m not mistaken).

Still, it’s been immense fun. Creating the edtwinge.com karma score has been every bit as rewarding as deciphering dastardly Nazi plans for world domination. Perhaps even more rewarding, if you take into account that my “rider” for this “gig” consisted of a crate of vintage sherry and a Stannah stairlift. Yes, there’s a subtle connection between those two items.

Anyway, my poppets, your great-aunt Deirdre has to sign off now. Some raw data is in need of cooking. Someone’s “bigging up” @bigcox so much, he’ll soon have to call himself @evenbiggercox.

I have been Bunting. You have been wonderful. Over and out.

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But actually presenting your act from a bog, now that deserves a standing ovation.

And that’s just what the Not/Not ensemble had planned for their performance of ‘Still Waiting for Godot’.

Just a couple of shakes from the Princes Street, the play was due to have a run until 31 August at the St James’ Public Toilets, Cathedral Lane. But apparently Samuel Beckett’s Estate raised a bit of a stink about the staging, so now they’ve moved to the more fragrant venue of C-Central on North Bridge.

Of course, as the Independent noted; toilets aren’t the only off-beat venues at the Fringe, canal boats, restaurants, hotels even medical schools are all providing unusual locations for acts.

What’s the best, worst, most creative, most awful venue you’ve been to?

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This appeal is just too cute for EdTwinge not to get whole-heartedly behind. If you can offer any help to the lovelorn lassie please do get in touch with her at her email address: lostcuteboy@hotmail.co.uk

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So we’ve taken some of the top comics on EdTwinge, and with some help from the clever folks over at Cursebird, compiled a Top 13 list, from the cleanest to to the pottiest-mouthed. Scores are calculated by  tracking the recent usage of profanities on Twitter, including f*ck, sh*t, b’stard, b*tch, c*nt, d*ck, tw*t, c*ck and b*llocks.

No 13. Tim Key

In spite of naming his show the mothercussing Slutcracker, Tim’s a bit a lame in the curse department. Swears like a primary school teacher. 21/100

No 12. Axis of Awesome

They may Australia’s most tolerated musical comedy trio, but they swear like kids TV presenters. 41/100

No 11. Pappy’s Fun Club

World record attemptors of 200 sketches in an hour. Swear like bad golf players. 53/100

No 10. Dan Antopolski

More cock than balls. Swears like a construction worker. 68/100

No 9. Andrew O’Neill

Occult comedian. Swears like a prisoner cell block H warden. 78/100

No 8. Chris Cox

Mind magician and top to the EdTwinge pops right now. Swears like a drunken sailor. 80/100

No 7. Mark Watson

Famous for 24 hour comedy epics that allegedly remain funny throughout. Swears like a rude bwoy. 90/100

No 6. Tim Minchin

Piano playing dandy. Swears like an Aussie Sheila. 94/100

No 5. Sarah Millican

Tough nut. Swears like a drill sergeant. 96/100

No 4. Richard Herring

Bloke spotted with a Hitler ‘tache. Swears like an enthusiastic porn star. 97/100

No 3. Janey Godley

Scottish WAG of the year, but that’s not saying much. Swears like that guy off of In The Loop. 98/100

No 2. Amanda Palmer

Her blog is titled Amanda Fucking Palmer. ‘Nuff said. 99/100

No 1. Tiernan Douieb

And at the top of the fuck parade, Tiernan curses his way to No.1. Well done. You fucker. 100/100

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