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PROFILE DAVID O'DOHERTYDublin comedian David O'Doherty has taken the main prize at Edinburgh despite being the purveyor of a brand of 'very low-energy musical whimsy' that many thought wouldn't be edgy enough to win over the judges

EDINBURGH IN AUGUST is an orgy of the arts. Festivals collide into each other, millions of pounds of funding is up for grabs, desperate fame-hungry wannabes chow down with raddled old has-beens and notables such as Jeremy Paxman, Germaine Greer, JK Rowling and, eh, Michael Barrymore elbow their way to the top media table by dint of a "controversial" word or deed. This glorious showcase of the very best in opera, drama, ballet and literature takes place in a city where the air is charged with a clamorous sense of competitiveness. The lippy young brat of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is personified by the hordes of stand-up comedians who parachute themselves in, hoping to replicate the deeds of names such as Peter Cook, Stephen Fry, Eddie Izzard, Peter Kay et al, who all first impacted on the public consciousness at the festival and parlayed their ground-breaking appearances into hugely successful comedy careers.