Edinburgh Festival: Pick of the Day

IF YOU GO TO SEE ANYTHING TODAY, THEN CHOOSE FROM ONE OF THESE FIVE MUST-SEE SHOWS

l The Nation's Favourite: The True Adventures of Radio 1

The Pleasance, Venue 33, (0131-556 6550) 6.15pm, pounds 8

Alex Lowe performs his adaptation of Simon Garfield's book about Radio 1 and the struggle to bring it into the late 20th century. Lowe plays BBC Controller Matthew Bannister, and makes magnetic viewing as he croons Simon Bates, whines Zoe Ball and squeaks Chris Evans. Tune in or fade out...

l Bellavita

C, Venue 19, (0131-225 5105) 4.25pm, pounds 4

Pirandello's unsettling and mocking tale of a husband, a lover and a dead wife is executed with verve and panache by King's College School. Emotions run high and the tension develops as Alex Winkler, in his brilliant performance of Bellavita himself, counteracts the lover's frustrated jealousy and paranoia by drowning her lover with "stinking kindness".

l Big and Daft

Gilded Balloon II, Venue ??, (0131-226 2151) 6.15pm, pounds 7

These three knockabout cartoon funsters - Ian Boldsworth, Rob Rouse and Jon Williams - have a unique way of relating to each other on stage. Rather than the usual tired lads' sketch-show themes, this trio manage to be touching and gentle as well as funny. Their astute attack on Oasis in the final medley of the show is worth the entrance money alone.

l Oleanna

C too, Venue 4, (0131-225 5105) midnight, pounds 6

A striking production of David Mamet's uneasy drama of the relationship between a student and her professor. The power struggle between the two is carefully balanced and both Christopher Garrett and Ingrid Bonne skilfully explore through their characters what it is to see and to understand. A challenging play, carried off convincingly and confidently.

l Ensemble Modern Orchestra/John Adams

Usher Hall, Lothian Road, (0131-473 2000) 7.30pm, pounds 5 - pounds 20

The International Festival offers little in the way of contemporary music, so the inclusion of an orchestra dedicated to it, and under the baton of one its foremost composers, goes at least some way to redress the balance. New works by Michael Gordon and Adams himself promise a stimulating evening.