Heard the one about the 12-year-old?

Lisa Summers
BBC Scotland news

Eros said comedy was a hobby for him

Eros Vlahos thinks he is funny.

But he would. He has been doing stand-up for four years with stints at the Comedy Store in London, Comic Relief and, here is the clue, Blue Peter.

That is because Eros Vlahos is only 12.

He is the youngest stand-up at this year's Edinburgh Fringe and he is hoping his show, Problem Child, will cause a stir.

But it is not going to be easy.

A third of the shows at this year's event are billed as comedy and with a reputation as one of the most prominent "comedy" festivals in the world, it also attracts harsh critics.

Somebody who has seen it all is artistic director of the Assembly Rooms, William Burdett-Coutts, who said: "I think probably 12 is pushing it slightly.

"It's a tough career if you go for it because you are solo, you are on your own, you have to keep your profile up."

Eros though is philosophical.

He said: "I just enjoy it, it's kind of a hobby for me really. It's hard competition because there are thousands of stand-ups out there.

"I've chosen a small venue because if you only have one person, it's still a nice place to do it in."

Roy Walker said he still gets nervous

At the other end of the experience spectrum, former Catchphrase host, Roy Walker is making his debut at the Fringe at the age of 68.

He is enjoying a career revival, but thinks Eros will use youth as an advantage.

"I think you can't start young enough, he won't have any fear at that age".

Walker though, admits even a veteran such as himself can be afraid of his first time at the fringe.

"I've worked in front of 20,000. Yes, there's always nerves but not as bad as here."

The fringe's youngest comedian though said, no matter what happens to him at this year's festival he will still make sure he has a laugh.

BY-BBC NEWS

'Pineapple Express' the latest stoner hit

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Stoners are riding high nowadays. Fans are buzzing about the reunion of Cheech and Chong after a long feud, and a couple of tokers are lighting up the box office with "Pineapple Express."

James Franco, left, and Seth Rogen star in the action comedy "Pineapple Express."

From the pot partakers and dealers of "Weeds" to Harold and Kumar to Sean Penn's dude in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," stoners have been a beloved subset among Hollywood fringe players.

Some win Academy Awards (Kevin Spacey for his suburban sad-sack in "American Beauty"). Some lose their wheels (Ashton Kutcher in "Dude, Where's My Car?"). Some merely abide (Jeff Bridges' "The Dude" in "The Big Lebowski").

The canon of stoner flicks is almost as old as Hollywood itself, with the 1936 propaganda film "Reefer Madness" high on fans' must-see list. Other favorites include the '70s high-school flashback "Dazed and Confused," the demented Hunter S. Thompson tale "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and the inner-city romp "Friday."

"Pineapple Express" upholds a truism known to just about anyone who has lit up: That it's more fun to party in pairs than it is on your own.

The movie casts Seth Rogen as a pot smoker hunted by druglords and crooked cops after he witnesses a murder. He leaves a smoking gun -- or rather, a smoking roach -- at the scene, a strain of pot called Pineapple Express that's so potent and rare, the bad guys can track it back to its source: Rogen's dealer, played by James Franco.

So the duo ends up as an odd couple on the run. Rogen's pot-hound is a fairly responsible guy with a day job as a process server, while Franco's peddler is so lovably fuzzy-headed from the weed that it's a wonder he can tell a nickel bag from a potted fern.

Chuck Berry's house to be historic place

ST. LOUIS, Missouri (AP) -- A modest, one-story red-brick house that rock and roll legend Chuck Berry bought in 1950 will be considered for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

In this undated photo, Chuck Berry does his famous duck walk routine.

Experts on St. Louis landmarks say Berry and his family lived in the home in the city's Ville neighborhood during his most productive early songwriting period.

It was in the house that Berry developed his distinctive guitar style, rehearsed, wrote and recorded many of his classic songs including "Maybelline," "Johnny B. Goode," and "Roll Over Beethoven."

Berry sold the house in 1958.

On Friday, the Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation recommended the house for inclusion on the National Register.