IF it’s laughs you’re after, then this Saturday’s (July 16) Edinburgh Preview Day at The Witham, Barnard Castle, should fit the bill nicely.
The event, organised by Funny Way to Be Comedy, will see four top comics try out their brand-new hour long shows ahead of August’s Edinburgh Festival.
First up is award-winning stand-up Mark Nelson who debuts in Barnard Castle with his new show Comedian at 5pm.
Host of BBC’s top-rated show The Good, the Bad and the Unexpected and online phenomenon Saturday Night Live at the Stand, he’s also clocked up more than 250 million views of his viral comedy clips and in 2021 he won the UK Comedian’s Comedian of The Year award.
Then At 6.30pm it’s Funny Way To Be Comedy favourite Kai Humphries, a multi-award-winning stand-up, podcaster, and author who has toured 53 countries with Daniel Sloss, opening in massive theatres and arenas all over the world.
His new show Mischief! is set to be one of the stand-out shows of this year’s Edinburgh Festival.
Craig Hill, with his show I Always Knew I Had It In Me, at 8pm, is an Edinburgh comedy festival legend.
The evening finishes with another multi-award-winning stand-up. Alasdair Beckett-King, who is often seen on Mock The Week.
In Nevermore, Alasdair unravels life’s shallowest mysteries and creates his own multi-faceted world. His show starts at 9.30pm.
Tickets are £6 a show or £20 for a day pass to see all four.
Promoter Peter Dixon, of Funny Way To Be Comedy, said: “This format of four shows in one night is something that we’ve been doing to great success since The Witham redevelopment was completed in 2013.
“We find many customers come to all four shows but others pick and choose and come to one or two shows and perhaps go on to some other event like a meal out.
“In the past years our preview shows have included, at the time, not so well known acts like Chris Ramsey, Joe Lycett, Mark Watson, Lost Voice Guy and Alex Horne.
“We always try to keep the ticket price down as we feel it’s important to give people who might not ordinarily come to a more expensive tour show a representation of what’s going to happen in Edinburgh.”
Mr Dixon added: “We are really excited about this line up as we have three top acts that have never played in Barnard Castle (Mark Nelson, Craig Hill and Alasdair Beckett-King) as well as Kai Humphries who has been here quite a few times with short sets supporting Daniel Sloss.”
Tickets are available from The Witham Box Office or from Funny Way To Be Comedy at www.funnywaytobe .com.
A second Edinburgh Preview Day will be held on Saturday, July 30. We’ll have more details next week.
