As the world's largest performing arts festival, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is a creative marathon that sees thousands of shows take place across hundred of venues on a daily basis throughout the month of August.
As well as performing at least once a day, these comics, actors and artists are flyering potential audiences, pitching themselves to the press, and lighting a few candles in the hopes that a reviewer drops by on a good night.
All of this is to say - despite the vast array of comedy - the Fringe is no joke. The majority of performers will spend the month holed up in student accomodation, living off instant noodles, and working themselves to the bone in the pursuit of a full room.
Thankfully, for a one-man show from Ireland, it seems to be working.
Created by friends and comics Mikey Fleming and Colman Hayes, Best Man invites you to become a part of the most memorable wedding of the year.
Sit back and attempt to relax as 35-year-old Cathal gives an off-the-cuff speech at the wedding of his last remaining single friend.... what could possibly go wrong?
Directed by Fleming and performed by Hayes, the one man show has been a hit with Fringe audiences, selling out every day of the run so far at the Underbelly in George Square - a huge accomplishment by any standard.
"I have to stop every now and again to remind myself that this is amazing," Mikey admits. "We're so bloody lucky; we played to 43 people on our first day and most of my friends just didn't have that same luck and opportunity."
Although the competition is outlandish - both in quantity and quality - the Dublin creative says that the Irish community has been exceptionally supportive.
"I'm in a WhatsApp group with a load of the Irish over here and it's very wholesome. People have reviewers in and ask for others to come along and everyone responds. It's a very connected community, I think they're all going swimming tomorrow morning, so that side of it is lovely."
The idea for the show came about when Fleming and Hayes shared their worst dating stories from throughout their 30s with one another. And as anyone who is on the dating apps can attest, there was plenty of material to work with.
"I had a simple core idea of a best man's speech that goes terribly wrong," he explains. "I never thought it would be anything more than a 20-minute monologue, but we started talking and, at the time, we had a very similar dating history.
"We just mined all the worst parts of ourselves and the worst part of our dating histories, and put it into this one character, and essentially made him the Worst Man."
(Pic: Ruth Connelly)
Following a successful run at Ireland's Scene and Heard festival in the Smock Alley Theatre earlier this year, the duo decided to bring the wedding abroad with their first full Fringe run.
After "tweaking a few bits and pieces" to make the Irish affair more welcoming to an international congregation, they found that nightmare dating scenarios translate exceptionally well.
"There was one man in his 50s who said it was a lovely experience to look at when you're long past the anxiety of being in your 30s and not having your s**t figured out," he laughs.
"I think anyone who has been in a relationship that didn't work or found themselves in a period of their lives where they didn't know what they were doing will relate to this in some way."
As well as writing, performing, directing, flyering, and taking in some shows - all while living off daily bowls of porridge - the two have decided to document their journey through daily TikToks - which you can find here.
"It's just watching two men gradually get worn down every day," he explains, laughing.
"The Fringe is kind of like a computer game," he adds. "We've passed the first level, which is selling out a show - that's your first tick. Then you have to get reviewers in, the next one after that is to get industry people in, and the next one after that is to be considered for an award."
"We're trying to get through all the levels."
For more information on Best Man, click here, and for more info on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, click here.
