A new mobile phone app has been launched offering free tickets to various Fringe shows.

The Theatre Ninjas iPhone app and an accompanying website have been setup to allow producers, directors and marketing people to offer free last minute tickets to audiences. The idea being that if, half an hour before a show not all the tickets have been sold, the producers can offer up the remaining tickets for free to anyone who can make it to the venue on time. The creators of the new tool describe it as a 'win, win' situation. For those behind the shows, Theatre Ninjas offers a chance to fill the venue, get the show seen by more people, and help advertise through word of mouth, whilst those attending the Fringe with a flexible schedule can get into various shows for free.

The Theatre Ninjas concept is the brainchild of a young and energetic group of theatre practitioners who have been supported by a £1,000 grant from Ideas Tap, an arts charity designed to help young people at the start of their careers.

You can browse the free tickets on the Theatre Ninjas website or, better still, by downloading the free iPhone App from the iTunes Store which will allow you to easily check out the offers while walking the streets of Edinburgh or grabbing a quick drink.

Theatre Ninjas says their new service provides "an opportunity to see shows audiences may not otherwise have chosen, to jam pack days at the festival and to save a good deal of money. Most importantly, the Theatre Ninjas concept has been devised so to allow for access on the move, meaning you can navigate the free shows during the inevitable rush that encapsulates the Edinburgh Fringe. Everyone can benefit from the Theatre Ninja concept. Audiences can gain access to shows free of charge, the companies get to perform in front of fuller houses whilst the venues attract new audiences and can market other shows to them. Most importantly, Theatre Ninjas are striving to capture the ethos at the roots of the Edinburgh Fringe itself; a network of fringe performers, supporting each other's work in a diverse, accessible and affordable programme. During this difficult economic period, this seems more important than ever, with the Theatre Ninjas mobile app connecting shows with a potential future audience."

Listings are often added just before shows start, so audiences looking for free tickets are advised to keep an eye on the service during the day. British Comedy Guide tried out the app yesterday - and signs look positive. It is early days for the service so there weren't a huge number of shows available, but we did notice some quality tickets, including some to Rufus Jones and Alexander Kirk's No Son Of Mine, which has every indication of being one of the hit shows of the Fringe. Disappointingly there's not a filter to just look at comedy listings on the app yet (rather than also seeing dance shows etc too), but we hear this is a feature they are looking to add.

If you want to try it out, the Theatre Ninjas app is available for download for the iPhone and iPod Touch via the iTunes Store now for free. Alternatively, you can browse the listings on www.theatreninjas.co.uk