The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is to comedians what Glastonbury is to musicians and Cannes is to film-makers.

Eastern Daily Press:

Now, a Gorleston girl is getting ready to take to the stage at the iconic event, as part of a two woman show called Kidnap.

Lauren Coates, who grew up on Upper Cliff Road in the town, will perform a residency at the Mockingbird in Edinburgh as part of the Free Fringe Festival.

Her and comedy partner Lauren Cooper, who met while both working in London as tour guides, play two parts each in a comedy detective story of their own writing. The pair have formed a comedy duo called Coates and Cooper.

Miss Coates, 31, said: 'We are both very nervous, because this will be the first time we have performed our own show as a duo.

'I'm more used to relying on myself, having done lots of stand up comedy. In that environment, if I forget my lines I can improvise, whereas there is less room for that here with somebody else alongside me.'

Miss, Coates, who studied drama at East Norfolk Sixth Form College, did her first stand-up gig in October 2015 in London, as a favour to a friend, before finding herself hooked.

She said: 'I've been to the Fringe as a punter before and loved it, but have never performed there before. We're both extremely excited.

'So many people have used Edinburgh as a launchpad and gone on to be really successful, so this is what we are hoping as well.'

The former Cliff Park High School pupil has turned her hand to acting before, having previously appeared in comedy sketch shows and web series Quirkology alongside her colleague, which she said helped the pair develop their on-stage chemistry.

'I feel we have a really strong connection as performers,' she said. 'When we were working as tour guides together we would always find the silliness in things and would get up to all kinds of mischief together.'

She moved to the capital around five years ago, having also studied away from home for university, but still has family in the town.

'My whole family have always been really supportive of me - they have the attitude of 'if you want to do something - go for it',' she added.

Coates and Cooper perform at 1.30pm daily between August 13 and 27.

Fringe's best jokes

Each year, a vote is held to crown the festival's funniest joke. While not all are safe for publication, here are a few that earned this honour.

• 'My dad has suggested that I register for a donor card. He's a man after my own heart.' - Masai Graham (2016)

• 'I went to a book shop and asked for a book about turtles. The woman asked: 'Hardback?'. I said: 'Yeah, and little heads.' - Mark Simmons (2015)

• 'I've decided to sell my Hoover. It was just collecting dust.' - Tim Vine (2014)

• 'I heard a rumour that Cadbury is bringing out an oriental chocolate bar. Could be a Chinese Wispa.' - Rob Auton (2013)

• 'You know who really gives kids a bad name? Posh and Becks.' - Stewart Francis (2012)

• 'I needed a password eight characters long, so I picked Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.' - Nick Helm (2011)

• 'I've just been on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday. Never again.' - Tim Vine (2010)