´óÏó´«Ã½

The last week of July is a strange one for the Edinburgh Fringe.

Thousands of performers are in town, some shows are up and running but because it doesn't officially begin until Monday, it all feels a bit underground and unofficial.

Problems at the Fringe Box Office have added to the confusion, already compounded by the big four venues insisting they are staging their own festival within the festival.

But sometimes, you catch little glimpses of what the Fringe is supposed to be about.

People who come to Edinburgh, not for fame or fortune, but a chance to share their performance with a wider audience.

Last night, inside an old church on the end of Princes Street, with the rain pounding down on the roof, it was clear that spirit was well and truly thriving.

St George's West has for the past few years been an extension of the massive Assembly Rooms operation - featuring the best of world music and performances.

But their decision to pull out of here and Aurora Nova - could well have spelt the end for the venue, until enterprising promoter Toby Gough stepped in.

Edinburgh-based Gough, who has staged a number of productions in the Botanic Gardens, including Children of the Sea, which was performed by Sri Lankan children who had been orphaned in the 2004 Tsunami, was determined the venue should continue and set about finding shows to stage there.

Now renamed The World - he launched it to press last night, with a modest invitation to "come on in and see the world".

On a wet evening - it was a heart warming selection.

There was The Zawose Family from Tanzania, a wonderfully exuberant dance and music show, which belies the enormous struggle of this family to keep their culture alive.

Then there's the Children of Cambodia, who survived the Khmer Rouge and are now reviving the music and dance, which almost died with them.

And the fantastically fit Capoeira Knights - whose fancy footwork was seen in the film City of God and genuinely keeps these street kids out of drugs and gangs.

Between acts, it was all hands to deck to reset the stage.

Performers came out front to watch - Brazilians clapping along to the Cuban dance, everyone on their feet to applaud the Cambodian children.

It felt like the sort of good old-fashioned venue which got the whole fringe going back in 1947 before we all got bogged down with ticket sales, and profits and endless stand up comedians.

As well as having an exuberant ringmaster in Toby Gough, the show has some high profile patrons - Brian Cox was there en famille last night, his son Alan has a fringe show of his own. Peter Gabriel and Kylie Minogue hope to make it to Edinburgh before the festival is out.

So The World is not lost - it's fighting back. If you have a spare hour, it's well worth taking in one of their shows.