I’ve often lamented Brighton’s theatre scene, feeling it lacked venues and variety. But Brighton Fringe has opened my eyes to the wealth of wonderful places and people, often from the local area, who are creating theatre they believe in.

Take the Nightingale Theatre where I watched White Rabbit, Red Rabbit by the Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour. White Rabbit, Red Rabbit is an audience participation piece, which explores responsibility between the writer and the audience. Every evening of the run a new actor takes to the stage and is presented with a sealed envelope, containing the script. This is the first time they get to see it; there is no rehearsal for this show and no direction except from the writer through the text. The actor performing the night I attended handled the script with extreme courage and confidence. There were occasional stumbles and the performance wasn’t polished, but we gained something far more valuable; a truthfulness that is vital to the piece.

The next brilliant new venue was pop-up theatre The Warren, hidden away at the back of an industrial area in the centre of Brighton. The beautiful fairytale garden - full of mismatched garden furniture and strung with lights and bunting - felt like a magical hideaway and it will be a real loss when it closes. DumbWise's production of Faust at The Warren was an innovative and daring adaption; the original score brought the production alive, although at times the production seemed to focus too closely on the love story.

Something Witty Theatre’s production of Private Lives, a site specific piece at the Grand Hotel, was an interestingly staged piece and well received by the older audience.

The standout highlight of the festival for me was, without doubt, Isy Suttee at the Komedia. Best known for playing Dobby in Peep Show, Isy is a gently brilliant live performer. The set included the bittersweet love story of Isy’s childhood pen pal Dave and “the girl he met in Skegness” interwoven with stories from Isy’s own love life.

Ultimately, as with any fringe event, the beauty of Brighton Fringe came from the sheer diversity of shows on offer. With 600 shows, over the entire city, it was a very special introduction to the city’s theatre scene. I don’t know why it took me so long to try it.

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