Fringe Notes: 25/08/2010

* Tim Key called on a few friends to launch his "unnecessary poetical album on vinyl" at Avalanche Records this week. Alex Horne played French horn and Nick Mohammed the violin. Album tracks include such hit poems as "Bob and the Pipe", "Janet/ Gannet" and "The Date" read over a string quartet.

* Orlando Figes is unlikely to show but Russophiles and gossips will flock in for Soviet historian Rachel Polonsky's appearance at the Book Festival tomorrow. David Nicholls is also in town, talking about 'One Day' in the city that inspired it.

* Buzz is gathering around the unlikely figure of 43-year-old account manager/ anti-comedian Edward Aczel. His Monday-night audience included Jimmy Carr, David O'Doherty and Bo Burnham. The comedians' comedian, indeed.