Edinburgh's Fringe festival: the accent is on funny

Lately, British comedians such as Ricky Gervais, Sacha Baron Cohen and Simon Pegg have become hot properties in the US. This year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival proves, however, that the trade in the opposite direction in live comedy has also been similarly plentiful, if lower key.

The advance invasion began earlier this summer courtesy of the Arrested Development star David Cross, who appeared at London's 100 Club for a two-week run (with "friends"), and the Curb Your Enthusiasm star Susie Essman, who put in appearances at the Newbury Comedy Festival and at the Lyric Theatre in London's West End.

The Edinburgh Fringe has always attracted transatlantic talent, but this year it will be hosting a wider cross-section of American comics than ever before, featuring both veterans and newcomers. Among returnees are last year's if.comeddie award best-newcomer nominees God's Pottery, with their musical parodies of happy-clappy Christianity such as "A Brand New Start With Jesus" directed at Jews who might feel that the "Hebrew scripture is an incomplete picture" and Muslims who would like to pray less.

Staying with a musical comedy theme is the cooler-than-thou beatbox comic Reggie Watts, whose patter between songs is a stream-of-consciousness collection of non-sequiturs that he claims "do the opposite of what a comedian would do, in the way that Steve Martin or Andy Kaufman did".

Another Fringe alumnus is the affable political comic Jeff Kreisler, who says he loves the "respect" offered by UK audiences. Kreisler's routines have a gently subversive quality that repays close attention, so it's easy to understand why he puts a premium on politeness. Take, for example, his routine on the consequences of quitting smoking: "If we don't smoke, we'll all gain weight... and that will shift power to the potato-chip lobby... and we'll have to deal with their corruption. 'Mr Pringle, you claim you didn't know your product was addictive, but didn't you sign this memo: once you pop, you can't stop?'" It may not be combative, but his thoughtful brand of comedy was enough to earn Kreisler the 2006 Spirit of Bill Hicks Award, the mention of which prompts him to explain: "While I'm not a Hicks cultist, I know that he and his comedy were finally accepted via the Fringe."

There's no doubt that Hicks's shadow still looms where American comics are concerned. The latest candidate for the Hicks mantle looks to be the live-wire New Yorker Rick Shapiro, whose rants can be inaccessible but deliciously uncompromising, such as the routine where he says "books are boring"; in reply to those who say he only believes this because he suffers from ADD, he retorts that he can concentrate long enough on certain sexual acts. The comedian Andrew J Lederer, now an Edinburgh regular, says: "If you like Bill Hicks, Doug Stanhope and Brendon Burns, you'll like Rick, unless his genuinely raw comic honesty makes you uncomfortable. He's had a rough life and it has given him searing insight."

Comfortable or not, there's no question that Edinburgh-bound US comics offer something fresh. As well as Shapiro and Watts, there's Jessica Delfino, with her dirty folk rock ditties and ribald jokes ("I put the odd in sassy broad"), and Kristen Schaal ("I'm Gracie Allen meets Andy Kaufman"), with her unnerving visual jokes and home-movies peopled by cardboard characters.

As Kreisler hints, this freshness is rare in America right now. Paul Provenza, the comedy veteran and director of The Aristocrats, agrees: "Mainstream American audiences are confused by originality. Audiences there seem to want the show they want, not what the artist wants to give them. UK audiences – specifically those at Edinburgh – seek out original work."

With election year approaching, politics will inevitably be on the US agenda at Edinburgh. The Massachusetts comic Jimmy Tingle, a Perrier nominee in 1990, believes that UK audiences are more aware of world issues and have a good understanding of American politics. Some of his material requires a bit of self-effacement, however: "When someone runs for President in America they preface their campaign by saying America is the No 1 nation in the world, and that in order for us to remain No 1 the American people have to elect them. What do aspiring leaders in other countries say? In Britain? 'I say to the people of Britain, if you elect me as your Prime Minister I guarantee you that Britain will remain No 5!'"

The political humourist Brian Longwell, who has become a Fringe regular over the last few years, takes an approach to his material very reminiscent of Dave Gorman by clocking up Google hits for "Dick Cheney is evil" and, "for balance", "Hillary Clinton is evil" and "Hillary Clinton is a lesbian". "The results clearly show that Dick Cheney is pretty evil, even more evil than Hillary Clinton is an evil lesbian," he concludes.

Another American import this summer is Harmon Leon, who describes himself as "a cross between Michael Moore and South Park, posing as anything from a white supremacist to a Christian ventriloquist." Leon has already gained a measure of infamy: "I also co-starred with OJ Simpson on a 'zany' hidden-camera prank-show called Juice'd, where OJ Simpson walks out and goes 'You've been Juice'd!' It's American culture at its lowest, and I got to be on the front line to gather material for my Edinburgh show."

Another West Coast act is Taylor Negron who, thanks to cameos in Seinfeld, Friends and films from Stuart Little to The Fluffer has become, if not a household face, at least a "where do I know you from?" face. Lederer contends that "Taylor is one of the great raconteurs and he knows everybody – stars, potentates, schleps. He's been in so many movies, I think people are going to be excited that he's around." According to one of Negron's own routines, the anticipated buzz about his appearance at the Fringe would disappear if we could only lick ourselves: "I believe human beings are the dominant species because we are the only species on this planet that cannot readily lick ourselves. Imagine if we could lick ourselves? There would be no Metropolitan opera house. No Brandenburg Gate. If we could lick ourselves there would be no internet."

The similarity between this routine and one of Hicks's is strong but I wouldn't want to reduce all American comedic output to a pale Hicks imitation. However, one parallel is inescapable: it is abundantly clear that many of the US class of 2007 feel more appreciated in the UK – and particularly in Edinburgh– than they do in their native land.

Lederer and Provenza believe that the comedic landscape in America is changing, slowly but surely, but Kreisler (winner of that, er, Bill Hicks award) warns: "In the US the liberties you can take are limited. The UK may not be artistic nirvana – is any place? – but in my experience it's better."

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs from 5 to 27 August (0131-226 0000; www.edfringe.com)

The pick of the Fringe

Frank Skinner (at Pleasance Courtyard)

He may have experienced a tough crowd at Just For Laughs in Montreal recently, but Skinner's return to Edinburgh, where he won the Perrier Award in 1991, is eagerly anticipated and quite rightly so.

Glenn Wool (Underbelly)

The vastly improved Canadian comic delivered a top-notch show last year, full of well-thought-out gags belied by his stoner delivery. Catch him while his star is in the ascendant.

Jim Jeffries (E4 Udderbelly)

The bad taste comedy mantle is in good hands with Jeffries. Billed as "unbookable" at The Tron's infamous cabaret slot last year, this uncompromising comic is certainly anything but unwatchable.

Sean Lock (Pleasance Cabaret Bar)

Known now for his appearances on 8 out of 10 Cats, the masterful stand-up reminds us what he's capable of live on this short Festival run before his national tour.

Josie Long (Pleasance Courtyard)

Long (below) follows up her show of last year, Kindness and Exuberance, with Trying Is Good. Her efforts last year won her the if.comeddies newcomer award, so her latest endeavours should make for a charming hour.

Kirsten Schaal (Assembly Rooms)

The creepy and kooky comedy antics of Kirsten Schaal showed inspired flashes at a recent run in London, supporting the Arrested Development star David Cross. An hour of her subtle lunacy promises much more.

Hattie Hayridge (Underbelly)

The queen of the absurd is back for her first full-length Edinburgh show in ages. Her deadpan charm may have taken a long Festival breather, but her brand of comedy is timeless.

Christian Reilly (Pleasance Courtyard)

Formerly one of the members of The Black Liars, the backing band for Otis Lee Crenshaw (Rich Hall's jailbird country-singer persona), Reilly goes it alone in his first solo Edinburgh show, called How to Rock.

Miles Jupp (Gilded Balloon Teviot)

A craftsman of the one-liner, Jupp's send-ups of upper-middle-class etiquette have been a joy to watch at recent festivals. Known to children for Balamory, his adult personas are much less lovable but hilarious with it.

Shappi Khorsandi (Pleasance Dome)

Since her promising solo show of last year, Khorsandi's stock has risen. She is appearing at this year's Festival eight months pregnant so, as her publicity material points out, she's already huge.

Frankie Boyle (Assembly Rooms)

The Scottish comedian (left) has almost sold out already, attesting to his huge following on both sides of the border. Appearances on Mock The Week are just a flash of what he's capable of on stage.

Tom Stade (The Stand)

Stade is a Canadian comic, though resident in the UK, who hits the mark with his great skill for twisting logic and meaning.