As this year’s festival opens, Boris Johnson is a popular target of comedians while others prefer a lighter touch in these turbulent times

Alan Cumming did a gig for a cat, Tiff Stevenson was drowned out by samba and some performers even made a profit … fringe veterans reflect on their first time and how the festival has changed

The standup inspired Mark Thomas with his activism, opened Jack Dee’s eyes and appalled Mark Steel – in the best possible way