Sell us your show: The Scotsman Fringe Awards

I THINK I read about this show in The Scotsman over the past couple of weeks, but I wasn't paying attention. Can you remind me what it is?

But of course. It's our annual awards show, where we give out lots of prizes and watch stage performances by some of the winners. This year we've got the venerable Simon Callow, star of A Festival Dickens, as our guest host. We've got extracts from award-winning shows Deep Cut and The Tailor of Inverness (pictured), plus a spectacular musical performance put together by The World @ St George's West. We'll be presenting this week's Fringe First winners (see page 10) with their prizes and giving out lots of other awards too.

That sounds like a very entertaining way to spend an hour of my time. When is it?

10am today at the Assembly Music Hall on George Street.

That's a bit short notice. Surely there aren't any tickets left by now?

Technically, no. Readers have been claiming free tickets over the past couple of weeks via coupons in the newspaper, and all 300 of those tickets are now gone. If, however, you are at a loose end this morning, and want to come along on the off-chance, then you're welcome to do so. We cannot promise you'll get in but, as with all free shows, there is always a possibility of a small number of tickets going unused on the day.

Fair enough. So what other awards will you be giving out?

The Carol Tambor Award, which will take one Fringe show to New York early next year; the Holden Street Theatres Award (new this year), which will take one Fringe show to Adelaide, and the Musical Theatre Awards, which recognise outstanding achievement in musicals. There is also the Jack Tinker Spirit of the Fringe Award, given to a company, performer or venue who most epitomises the spirit of the Fringe.

And who is in the running for these various prizes?

The shows shortlisted for the Musical Theatre Awards are: Departure Lounge, The Jonah Boy, On The Island Of Aars, Barbershopera!, Tony of Arabia, Only The Brave and Funk It Up About Nothin'. In the running for the Carol Tambor Award are Big Bite-Size Breakfast Show, The Bird and The Bee, Eight, The Idiot Colony and 66a Church Road.

Thanks! But what if I can't make it along?

There'll be a full report in this magazine tomorrow, worry not.

• The Scotsman Fringe Awards are at Assembly Music Hall, today, 10am.