The Festival Cafe live from Edinburgh 18 Aug.

Melanie Morides:

The show today had a beautiful opening with classical music by Caracas-born Edicson Ruiz. He chatted to Clare about his participation in the successful Venezuela "El Sistema" scheme. This music education program is world famous for giving underprivileged children opportunities to immerse themselves in the world of classical music and to distance themselves from dangerous environments. At just 25, Edicson has become a master of the double bass. I can't even play the flute.

Tim Crouch got chatting to us about his latest play, "The Author," which breaks the traditional format of theatre. Why? I dare you to go watch it to find out... Then send me a Tweet @ BBCFestivalCafe to tell us how it went.

The show became more thought provoking as David Benson discussed his one man show regarding the Lockerbie tragedy. This play is definitely set out to make us question the world around us and the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.

But who really got us thinking today was Mark Salem, a mentalist. Yes that's right, a mentalist. Mark captivated the audience with his mind games and I absolutely loved him. I definitely want to see his show. If you are interested in body language and having a bit of fun then "Mind Games" is for you.

If musical fun is more your thing then you might like Pluck. They really are the funniest string trio ever and really got the audience clapping!

Fiona Carlyle:

It was string instruments galore on today's edition of the Festival Café! Double bassist Edicson Ruiz really is proof that the Venezuelan "El Sistema" scheme, which aims to transform the lives of underprivileged children through music, really does work. The youngest ever member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, he took time out of his busy rehearsal schedule to treat us to a performance.

In complete contrast to his haunting opening piece we also had comedic string trio "Pluck" jumping about the stage and showing a whole different side to classical music. Their rendition of Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze was a particular highlight! If you missed the live broadcast, I strongly urge you to listen again on iPlayer to hear their performance!

It wasn't just the music that was a little bit unusual today, with world renowned "mentalist" Marc Salem demonstrating just how much we subconsciously communicate through body language. We managed to cajole a few members of the audience into coming on stage for a little demonstration so he proved his astonishing skills right before our eyes. And continuing our unconventional theme for the day, actor and playwright Tim Crouch discussed his new play "The Author" which breaks new ground by completely eliminating the stage and having all the actors sitting in amongst the audience. Finally another playwright and performer David Benson chatted to our presenter Clare English about his hard hitting Fringe play "Lockerbie: Unfinished Business". yet another eclectic show from Venue150 at the EICC.

Emma Langman:

Today's show saw yet another variety of acts from the Festival, including music, theatre and even a "mentalist". Marc Salem, who doesn't call himself a psychic but does say he can read minds, has worked with the CIA and on jury selection in the US legal system. He uses his intuition and ability to read people's characteristics to work out what they are thinking. On the Festival Café, he chose two audience members who pictured words in their minds and told us what those words were by looking at their reactions when he said different letters. It is definitely an interesting skill to have!

Music came from the amazingly talented 25-year-old double bassist Edicson Ruiz, who was part of the El Sistema scheme in his home country of Venezuela and then went on to become the first Latin American and youngest ever member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Silly string trio Pluck also shared their musical talents on the show, playing an eclectic mix of Mozart and Jimi Hendrix. David Benson and Tim Crouch also joined us as guests discussing their respective plays "Lockerbie: Unfinished Business" and "The Author." Both works tackle difficult issues and force their audiences to face up to sometimes harrowing ideas.

With only two more shows to go, I'm looking forward to even more interesting guests and a great mix of Festival highlights to come!