Listings: Before 9pm

Grab your top tickets to talent-spot this year's stellar crop of industry approved breakthrough comedians, plus some who are already rather famous! Every showcase is different, so keep coming back.

Lady banjo players extraordinaire tour their bluegrass ballads.

Just A Minute/One Show Gyles won multiple five stars for his last Edinburgh sell-out. Now the award-winning raconteur and ex MP explores the secrets of How to Be Happy. 'Incredibly funny, wildly indiscreet' (Daily Mail).

Adaptation of an early Beckett novella about a man, cast out from the family home, who hooks up with a woman, with darkly comic consequences.

After a triumphant Radio 2 series, the New Age guru, psychic and medium returns; passing on messages, making predictions and telling fortunes. 'Fantastically original and funny enough to kill you from asphyxiation' (Magic Circle Magazine).

The opening of the exhibition Staple Matter, in which Kjersti Sletteland and Despina Nissiriou explore the secrets of this building, creating site-specific work that enters a playful dialogue with Patriothall's structure and history.

Peter Abrahams, Professor of Clinical Anatomy at Warwick University, explores the value of Leonardo’s anatomical drawings as a tool for understanding the human body, and how closely the artist anticipated the range of imagery used by the medical profession today.

With caller Ken Gourlay and ceilidh bands Flaming Heather, HLI, Scott Leslie, Willie Fraser and piper. All dances walked through and called. Cheap bar. Hall has air-conditioning! Fringe groups welcome. www.edinburghceilidhs.co.uk.

Beckett on Film: Happy Days: Directed by Patricia Rozema and starring Rosaleen Linehan and Richard Johnson.

Based on Beckett’s trilogy of novels – Molloy, Malone Dies and The Unnamable – this one-man show performed by celebrated Beckett interpreter Barry McGovern brings together three monologues that unify the central characters of each novel, revealing successively deepening layers of reflection and emotion. Firstly there is…

Members of Ensemble musikFabrik talk to composer John Harris about their unique artistic vision.

Australian clarinettist Nicola Boud and fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout discuss their Queen’s Hall recital with Richard Morrison, chief music critic of The Times.

Winnie McGoogan from Mrs Brown's Boys. Eilish O'Carroll tells her own life story with unflinching honesty and humour in this award-winning play. ‘Heart-warming, funny and thought-provoking … a tour de force.’ (Cork Echo). Book early!

When Father Christmas finishes his rounds he realises that he's forgotten to do something rather important and he really needs a WEE! A brilliantly bouncy musical adaptation of Nicholas Allan's much loved book.

The Godfather of Funk and Soul and musical director of the James Brown Band during its heyday, Fred Wesley is Mr Funky. Trombonist of distinction, collaborator with the best, and sophisticated arranger, but when it comes to partying, no-one does it better. He always delivers a funky good time. Especially when he’s…

Organist extraordinaire John Kitchen of the University of Edinburgh describes and demonstrates the technology behind the magnificent four-manual 63-stop Usher Hall organ.

A poet of the piano, Mitsuko Uchida is famed for playing that matches elegance and poise with mercurial excitement. Her Festival recital combines gentle lyricism and explosive virtuosity. To begin, she contrasts two luminous Preludes and Fugues from the second book of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier with Schoenberg’s…

Bach to Berio, Lutoslawski to Puttin’ on the Ritz performed by Iain Archibald and Andrew Connell-Smith (trumpet), Martin Murphy (horn), Gordon Seith (trombone) and Fraser Russell (tuba).

Classic swinging arrangements, and loads of hot jazz from an all-star international band featuring Evan Christopher (clarinet), Enrico Tommaso (trumpet) and Paolo Alderighi (piano) and led by bass maestro.

Tron Kirk, 10.30-4pm, £10 (or individually priced slots); 10.30-11.30am Sleepy Eyes Nelson solo Delta blues guitar and vocals (£2); noon-1pm Stephanie Trick Amazing American piano star – stride to ragtime (£4); 1.30-2.30pm Mike Rogers Great vocals – hits from the great American songbook (£4); 3-4pm Stephanie Trick solo…