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	Pleasance Courtyard (venue website) Comedy 4-7, 9-13, 15-20, 22-26 Aug, 1:00pm-2:30pm
Recommended for age 16+ only.

Take reviews with a punch of salt?  Like to see for yourself before you make up your mind?  Then Pick Of The Fringe is made for you.  An old-fashioned variety show with a typical Fringe spin, Mervyn Stutter's now-traditional lunchtime slot gives you the chance to sample a number of acts, all hoping to tempt you along to the full version of their routine.

The original and still the best of a number of similar shows, 2012 is a coming of age for Pick Of The Fringe, back in Edinburgh for a remarkable 21st year.  Packing in seven or eight short extracts a day, it runs the whole gamut of Fringe entertainment – and as well as giving ideas for future ticket purchases, it's an entertaining event in its own right.  Mervyn Stutter himself, resplendent in a trademark pink jacket, is a quick-witted host, following up each five-minute extract with a chat-show-style confab with its performers.

The show's been through a few different venues over the years, but 2012 sees it back at the Pleasance Courtyard – arguably, the ideal place to take the pulse of the Fringe.  The 1pm start slots nicely into the start of the Festival day, and you get 90 minutes’ entertainment for less than you’d normally pay for a bare hour.  All in all, this good-value show fully justifies its longevity... and who knows, you might just unearth your own hidden diamond there.