'Festival' is a black comedy set during the annual Edinburgh Fringe festival. The film is based around both the judging of a major comedy award and the performers at one of the smaller venues. Various plot strands interweave, including the bitter relationship between a famous self-obsessed British comic and his ever-suffering assistant, an actress debuting at the festival with a one-woman show about Dorothy Wordsworth and a depressed, rich housewife who spies on the stoned Canadian theatre troupe to whom she has rented out her house

The Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star is a British comedy series, which aired on Channel 4 in 1998. It was a six-part satirical take on the music industry, written by Skins creator Bryan Elsley. The plot centered around a young Glaswegian band - Jocks Wa Hey - as they struggle to find success. The series won the 'Best Drama Serial' award at the 1999 RTS Television Awards and, that same year, writer Bryan Esley was nominated in the RTS 'Best Writer' category for the series. It was remade as My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star, a short-lived American/Canadian series that starred Oliver Hudson and was made for the now defunct The WB Television Network.

Alun arrives in Glasgow to play a gig at The Edge, a comedy club run by would-be promoter Max T. Max T should be looking after Alun, but he already has his hands full trying to keep Sandy Cervi, his second cousin and business partner, from taking over the club. In a bid to sort out some 'poontang' for himself and Alun, Max invites Eva, a psychiatric nurse and her photographer friend Christina along to the gig.