This year the Edinburgh Fringe Festival has more shows than ever: 1,278 to be precise. It is likely, however, that Flynn's disappointment is quite typical. It costs £320 to be in the programme but the Fringe reckons it costs a five person company, coming from elsewhere in Britain, between £3,000 and £5,000 to mount a show for two weeks; about half of that is accounted for by the hire of the venue. They tell the companies this, but have carried out no research into how many companies break even. Probably very few do. Punters, spoiled for choice, seem to cram into the few shows which get rave reviews and awards, and stay away in droves from most of the others.

So that although there is no artistic policy, this is possibly the most competitive atmosphere in which to perform anywhere in the world. That's what makes it so disappointing that Corcadorca's brilliant production of Enda Walsh's Disco Pigs did not get one of The Scotsman's Fringe Firsts, despite ecstatic reviews; just a quirky bit of luck, which should mean nothing but means a lot here and will give the show a lot of muscle as it begins its London run next month - but a Fringe First would have carried it further.