uk news  Festival contest lifts ban on 'too popular' comic  Al
Murray, the comedian disqualified from the Perrier award at the
Edinburgh Festival for being too popular, has been reinstated.
The U-turn by Perrier award director Nica Burns follows a furore
over the exclusion on the grounds that Murray, who has been
nominated for the prize four times before, was now successful
enough to regularly fill "mid-scale venues". Burns said the
rules stated that performers who had "achieved star status, had
their own TV shows, or were able to sell out mid-scale venues"
were not eligible for the prize.  She said that a commission
would reassess the rules in November, but until then a wider
definition of "mid-scale" would apply.  Murray said he was
delighted. He added: "It has been a confusing few days."  Most
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