One act plays make up the overwhelming majority of fringe theatre shows including at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The origin of the one-act play may be traced to the very beginning of recorded Western drama: in ancient Greece, Cyclops, a satyr play by Euripides, is an early example.
A few notable examples of one act plays emerged before the 19th century including various versions of the Everyman play and works by Moliere and Calderon.
[1] One act plays became more common in the 19th century and are now a standard part of repertory theatre and fringe festivals.
One act plays were very popular in the 20th century and it is regarded by many to be a modern product.