The world-famous arts festival will have 2,088 shows in 247 venues – and making their fringe debut will be a group of 11 pupils from Portsmouth High School.

Calling their group Breast Assembly, the drama students will perform the lively Italian play the Devil in Drag by Dario Fo – a play which sees devils and churchmen trying to corrupt a 16th century Italian judge.

And they have hit on a novel way of trying to stand out from the crowd and grab the attention of festival-goers.

Stephanie Crockford, 18, said: 'We had a little workshop about publicising the show. People are handed thousands of flyers so we've got to do something different so people will remember us.

'That's why we'll be handing out dung-ball cakes made out of Rice Krispies. They're delicious.'

The girls have been rehearsing for only nine days and will only have 15 minutes before their performance to get ready.

They will perform matinees for a week, starting tomorrow.

Seven of the group want to be actresses but see performing more as an experience than an opportunity to seek work.

Kate Argent, 17, said: 'People have been spotted at the fringe and picked to do more theatre or TV, but we're not going down to be spotted, we're going for the experience.'

Sian Green, 17, who plays the master devil, had a more playful reason for going: 'When we speak to Scottish people I'm going to try and make them believe we're Scottish.'

The play's director and head of drama at Portsmouth High School Rosemary Comrie added: 'The play's quite a bit of fun and should appeal to the fringe crowd. It's a little bit cheeky and titillating.'