This year's Edinburgh Fringe brought to the fore a broad range of terrific comedy, from political polemics to starkly personal projects. Now that the crowds have dispersed and the sound of laughter is but a distant echo, many of the more successful shows are about to embark on tours around the country.

If you didn't make it to Edinburgh this year, or you couldn't get a hot ticket or were flummoxed by a particular show's convoluted ticketing allocation process then fret no longer. We've selected a few of the best shows, curated from a mixture of the Edinburgh Comedy Award winners and our very own choices.

Richard Gadd: Monkey See Monkey Do
This year's Edinburgh Comedy Award winner was THE hot ticket and another resounding success story for the Free Fringe.
What we said: 'Wonderful multimedia hour that is part comedy, part theatre and full-on therapy.'

Scott Gibson: Life After Death
It was a Scottish double this year, with Glaswegian Gibson taking the crown of Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards.
What we said: 'A born raconteur who can hold your attention for an hour without flagging.'

James Acaster: Reset
Acaster has now been nominated a record five consecutive times for the Edinburgh Comedy Award's top prize.
What we said: 'This exhilarating new hour is simply a sideways look at the realities of life and the humour that lurks in every corner.'

Bridget Christie: Because You Demanded It
Festival favourite Christie rewrote her show in late June following Brexit, resulting in the best-rated comedy show at the Fringe.
What we said: 'Inevitably this show will grow and change as the political landscape continues to shift. But the razor-sharp wit, personable asides about her family, and the gentle but pointed call to arms which Bridget Christie delivers so brilliantly, will remain firmly intact.'

Steen Raskopoulos: You Know The Drill
Phenomenal one-man sketch show featuring audacious audience interaction.
What we said: 'In this technically astonishing and emotionally fulfilling hour, there's not a single bum note played or a scene that falls flat.'

Felicity Ward: 50% More Likely To Die
Unrelenting pace from the straight-talking Australian comedian.
What we said: 'A garishly colourful tapestry of pin-sharp comic observations, thoughtful discussion around mental health and euphoric squawking.'

Ahir Shah: Machines
Politics and philosophy explored at breakneck speed by a comedian whose confident material belies his youth.
What we said: 'Shah has always had a burning passion at his fingertips and the gags to back up his fire, but everything appears to have crystallised wonderfully in Machines.'

Al Porter: At Large
Cheeky comedy from the Dublin native.
What we said: 'Natural charm by the truck load, Al Porter will go far.'

Nish Kumar: Actions Speak Louder Than Words, Unless You Shout The Words Real Loud
Barely into his 30s and Kumar is already a Fringe veteran. A deft mixture of serious and flippant material from a supremely comfortable comedian.
What we said: 'Kumar's skill is casually shoehorning in some very weighty, problematic issues to a set of sparkling, memorable pub banter.'

Zoe Coombs Marr: Trigger Warning
Wonderfully inventive postmodern show in which a comedian dissects her alter-ego, Dave, an appalling, misogynistic stand-up.
What we said: 'Coombs Marr has done the unexpected with her odious creation and through a committed performance she makes him part of something very special indeed.'