Sylvia Bishop, Lucy Fennell, Rosy Fordham, Jen Rowe, Rebecca MacMillan and Tom Wilkinson star in Impromptu Shakespeare. Here's their answers to our 10 questions...

1. Tell us about your career so far. Are you happy with where you're at?

Impromptu Shakespeare started in 2013, though our cast members are much more seasoned. We hit the ground running at Underbelly that year, splashed some cash, got really good audiences, great reviews featured on BBC's the Art of Improv, and then...that was pretty much it! We love doing the show though, so this year we're doing a short run in a new free entry venue with a view to building things back up and beyond in a steady year by year fashion.

2. Describe your show in exactly 23 words.

An entirely new Shakespeare play, made up on the spot using audience suggestions. Bursting with comedy, love, tragedy. 40 minutes of riotous fun!

3. Why are you putting yourself through this famously stressful experience?

All the world's a stage... all jobs have their stressful bits, but often those are the most rewarding too.

4. Any cunning plans to get more punters in?

At the start of our show the audience chuck ping pong balls (with Shakespearean ingredients written on them) into the breeches of one of us dancing on stage. Those that get in the breeches make the ingredients for our show (we ask for a few more specific details from the audience too).

We'll be taking blank ping pong balls around with us while flyering, and inviting people to tell us what Shakespeare means to them and to write those thoughts on fresh balls to be thrown at us that afternoon.

5. How much money do you think you'll lose/make this year?

Our venue is a new Freestival one (The Nursery @ Thistle King James Hotel) but very exciting because it's improv only. We're only doing 11 shows - so we are realistic about how much we're likely to rake in. If we cover our costs that would be brilliant. Next year however...

6. What are you most looking forward to about your first Edinburgh Festival?

Our weirdest Fringe experience was starting to flyer for Impromptu Shakespeare in 2013 and realising that it was the easiest job in the world. People coming up and asking for flyers. Crazy!

7. What other shows are you hoping to see?

We will take the chance to catch each other's shows - we are spread between different cities in the UK and don't get to see one another enough. That would be: Tom in Adventures of the Improvised Sherlock Holmes; Sylvia in The Peablossom Cabaret; Rebecca & Jen in Oh Boy! The Quantum Leap Show - with the Maydays; and Rosy in Upstairs Downton. We'll also go to a celidh together in Lauriston Hall as that's always brilliant fun.

8. If you took over programming a venue, what would you perfect line-up of comedians be?

Shakespeare himself, Tim Minchin, TJ and Dave, and the cast of Blackadder.

9. Name the one person you'd rather not bump into during the festival.

Impromptu Marlowe, our deadly rivals.

10. Why should audiences pick your show over the 1,700+ other comedy offerings at this year's festival?

We'll take you from the ridiculous to the sublime. Where else will you get to throw ping pong balls into the open breeches of improvisers dancing to Elizabethan songs - and then see them take the words written on those balls and craft a beautiful miniature brand new Shakespearean style play out of them?

'Impromptu Shakespeare' is at 5pm at Thistle King James Hotel on 7-17 August. Listing