Sussex-based arts promoter Komedia has produced one of the strangest shows at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The performance by Russian circus performer Alexej Merkuchev at the world's biggest arts festival is held in a lift and the audience watch from inside.

But on the opening night, not everything went to plan.

A Komedia spokeswoman said: "The start was delayed because we had to make sure the lift was in working order.

"It took engineers much longer than they thought to sort the problems out."

The three-week run of the bizarre 5065 - Fancy A Lift is made by Komedia, based in Brighton, and its German partner Fabrik.

Alexej is using a custom-built elevator and it is the smallest performing platform in the festival.

He is performing six times a day until August 24 - to an audience of six.

The spokeswoman said: "It's about a clown who is down because it is his birthday and he's lonely. But then people arrive - the audience - and he is suddenly happy."