In 2009, the Fringe flier for Cocorico mischievously got to grips with certain local prejudices.

It read: "A funny Frenchman? Yeah right. A funny French mime? Don't make me laugh." At The Herald we laughed so much at the superb speechless comedy we awarded one of our Angels - our accolade for excellence in any form - to Patrice Thibaud and Phillippe Leygnac.

Their wit and humour was not confined to the stage. I still have a signed and framed photograph of the pair, perched on an Edinburgh wall wearing what looked like kilts, but which were, in fact, souvenir tea-towels.

While Leygnac smiles shyly at the camera, Thibaud's left hand is vanishing under his hem - perhaps re-enacting that old music-hall joke 'What's worn under the kilt? Nothing. It's all in perfect working order...' The actor has promised to wear the kilt on his return to Edinburgh - but he may be having a laugh.