WHITCHURCH is to play host to a comedy festival this summer – with TV comic Ed Byrne the latest big-name act confirmed to appear.

Whitchurch Comedy Festival will take place throughout July, August and early September, with most of the shows taking place in a marquee on the lawns of the Dodington Lodge Hotel.

It is being put on by Black Country comedy promoters Funny Beeseness, and the Mock The Week star Byrne will headline a show on Friday, August 6.

Also confirmed to appear so far are Scott Bennett (Thursday, July 29) and Troy Hawke (Thursday, August 26) who will both be performing their latest tour shows.

The festival will be opened by Henning Wehn, who headlines a show at Whitchurch Civic Centre on Saturday, July 24.

More big names are set to be announced over the coming weeks.

Wayne Beese, director of Funny Beeseness, said: "It's nearly a year since we have been able to put on a comedy show.

"We've missed our audiences and we know they have missed us, so we wanted to come back with a bang.

"We want people to feel confident they can come and enjoy live entertainment safely and we will be keeping a very close eye to make sure we are following government advice and guidelines.

"We have structured the shows so we can put them on with social distancing measures in place if we have to, and we offer a Covid-19 refund guarantee if shows are not able to go ahead or have to be rescheduled.

"I'm delighted to have secured Ed, it's the first time he will have appeared for us and as one of the very best observational comics in the country it promises to be memorable.

"We've sold nearly 500 tickets already across the shows we have announced so far.

"We are announcing new shows every Friday and Monday evening to our mailing list over the next couple of weeks – so get signed up if you are not on it already to find out first who else will be appearing."

To book for any of the shows, or to sign up to the mailing list, go to www.funnybeeseness.co.uk