RADIO 4 star Fred MacAulay kicks off the new comedy season at The Witham in Barnard Castle next weekend.

The Scottish stand-up presents Twenty Fifteen, on Saturday, September 26, as the Funny Way To Be Comedy Club.

Back on the road after 18 years at BBC Radio Scotland and 27 years at the Edinburgh Fringe, his new show looks at everything from politics to sport, the environment and celebrity.

Well-known on BBC Radio 4's The News Quiz, Bridget Christie Minds The Gap and The Unbelievable Truth, he has also appeared on TV's Mock the Week, QI and Have I Got News For You.

He has presented programme for the BBC and undertaken charity challenges such as kayaking the Caledonian Canal for Sport Relief in temperatures as low as -18 Celsius and scaling Mt Kilimanjaro.

Peter Dixon, of promoters Funny Way To Be, said: “Having seen Fred at the Edinburgh Festival over many years, we were delighted to hear he is in a position to do an extensive tour of the UK and keen to stop off in Barnard Castle."

The Witham season also features shows from BBC 3 star Nick Helm (October 22), Jenny Eclair (October 31), Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee James Acaster (November 28) and Stephen K Amos (December 12).