Russell Howard: Wandering, Pleasance Courtyard <br/> David O'Doherty Is My Name, Assembly Rooms <br/> Phil Nichol: The Naked Racist, The Stand

Who's the Eddie?

The inaugural year of the Eddie comedy awards has thrown up some great talent among the nominations for the main award, but they have not necessarily highlighted the best shows. The absence of names such as Doug Stanhope, Maria Bamford, Andrew Maxwell and Jim Jeffries is lamented.

In the newcomer section, it's a pity that the character comedian Simon Brodkin isn't included in what is admittedly a strong short-list that rightly recognises Josie Long and God's Pottery.

Joining the excellent We Are Klang and the rock-solid Paul Sinha on the main award list are Russell Howard, David O'Doherty and Phil Nichol. Ever since he hosted the Pleasance launch in 2004, it's been clear that Howard is a star. Three Edinburghs on, his youthful exuberance has won over audiences.

I'm not convinced that this is Howard at his best, but I'm glad he is being recognised for flashes of brilliance that include, in this show, the assertion that "people who say they don't swear haven't had the right sex or food", and his quandary about what emoticon is suitable to use in a reply to a text or e-mail that contains bad news.

An Edinburgh veteran, bringing a solo show every year since 2000, O'Doherty has taken three years to convince me of the charm of his ambling, lo-fi ways. His efforts to live up to the autobiographical premise of the show are suitably shambolic, but the silly ditties on his Yamaha keyboard (such as a tribute to erroneously sent text messages) and his one-liners (including an idea for a marketable title, Harry Potter and the Da Vinci Book of SuDoku) eventually win the punters over. What starts as a rather unsound vehicle gains momentum and then careers off into satisfying lines on diverse topics such as an appropriate logo for muesli, and the state of Ireland's film industry.

Another comedian who uses his instrument for laughs (and, yes, this is an apt double-entendre) is the Canadian Phil Nichol, who knows a thing or two about whipping up a crowd. Essentially, The Naked Racist is like an elaborate knob gag, wrapped up inside a high-energy yarn about a trip to Amsterdam.

Nichol sings, shouts and gurns his way through, bringing characters and places to life. Though never dull, I feel his posturing and frenetic energy don't quite hide the fact that the set is a little light on gags.

Russell Howard, to 28 August (0131-556 6550); David O'Doherty, to 28 August (0131-226 2428); Phil Nichol, to 27 August (0131-558 7272)