The audience lucked out at the first Best of the Fest.

It’s not often one gets to experience audience participation during a comedy gig that is as totally effortless and inspiring as it is funny, but compere John Robins totally nailed it.

An Edinburgh Festival fave and subsequently prolific comedy writer since first appearing on the scene in 2005, Robins’ smart, disarmingly honest brand of humour was perfectly pitched as he flitted from one subject to another between the performers.

Actor and writer Brett Goldstein was at his best railing against the sincerity of hippy Americans at Burning Man festival.

Musical cabaret double act, hugely talented vocalist Laura Corcoran and keyboard player Matthew Floyd Jones - aka Frisky & Mannish - gave the audience a taste of their unique brand of humour with a hysterical ‘stalker medley’ of pop tunes.

And Brighton’s own acerbic Zoe Lyons demonstrated why she is at the top of her game with a slew of quickfire observations.

After her consummate performance, gangly James Acaster, riding high on a slew of sold-out gigs showed masses of potential with his absurdist, if sometimes slightly long-winded, narratives.

But the real star of the night was Robins, who rounded off the evening skilfully by bringing together members of the audience to form a band. Comic genius.

Five stars