FOR a number of years, spoken word has been one of the fastest-growing art forms at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and without a doubt 2015 continues the trend.

The one-person poetry show is big news again and among the highlights at Edinburgh is Wakefield poet Matt Abbott. He’s made a name for himself by blending sharp political comment into his performances and his new effort Skint and Demoralised looks like it will tick all the must-see boxes.

After the festival, he’s taking his collective A Firm of Poets on tour with The People’s Republic of Poetry, also well worth investigating if their past triumphs and their Soviet-style poster are anything to go by.

Previous winner of a Funniest Joke at the Fringe award — “I heard a rumour that Cadbury is bringing out an oriental chocolate bar. Could be a Chinese Wispa” — York-born arch-surrealist Rob Auton is back with The Water Show, helpfully described in the promotional material as being perfect for anyone “who has seen, heard, touched, used or drank water.”

Returning after a 5-star run last year, Hannah Chutzpah’s new show Asking Nicely is about the power dynamics of permission and politeness. Chutzpah tackles the themes of consent and kicking ass — and when asking nicely turns nasty.

Finally, Phill Jupitus’s literary alter ego Porky the Poet will be starring in the intriguingly named Apologist Now! but you can also catch him in his more familiar stand-up guise in Sketch Comic.

For that he’ll be sketching a favourite work of art each morning, live, in one of Scotland’s three national galleries.

He will be encouraging you to sketch along with him, so if you don’t want your artistry to be a complete embarrassment maybe take it easy on the whiskey the night before.

Jody Porter