Puppet maker/performer Ailie Cohen has been delighting young folk and their grown-ups for many a Fringe with her original stories and fairy-tale adaptations. Cloud Man is no exception, a deceptively simple story that will melt even the flintiest of hearts.

Dressed in a green mac and sporting thick specs, Cohen plays a boffin obsessed with the idea of spotting ‘cloud men’, the shy retiring creatures who lead quiet lives up in the sky. She follows her dream all the way to the top of Cloud Mountain where she sets up camp, follows the tiny white footprints and waits for the fluffy ones to make their appearance.

Cohen’s major achievement here is to create a completely immersive world that barely requires you to suspend your disbelief. Her lovely wooden hut set opens out and out into a doll’s house of delights, the physical comedy is gentle but good fun, and when the cloud man eventually appears, the interactions between the wee critter and his tracker are funny and, ultimately, very touching.

Hill Street Theatre, 226 6522, until 24 Aug, 11am, £7.50 (£5).

Cloud Man - Short Trailer