Why politicians are punchlines at the Edinburgh Fringe

In a world where politics can veer into parody before the comedians have had time to write the punchline, you might wonder if satire is running out of material, writes Minnie Stephenson.

There was a time when satire had an easier gig.

Politicians said something ridiculous, comedians made fun of them, audiences laughed, and everyone went home.

Now the joke is often the headline.

In a world where the unbelievable regularly makes the news, where politics can veer into parody before the comedians have had time to write the punchline, you might reasonably wonder: is satire running out of material?

Not in Edinburgh.

At the Fringe,