FIVE top comedy acts will appear on stage in Barnard Castle in the first half of 2016 including stand-up comic Omid Djalili on Tuesday, March 1, as part of his worldwide tour.

Following a sold-out four-week West End residency and a sold-out season at the Edinburgh Festival, Djalili is taking his new show, Iranalamadingdong, to venues across Australia, North America and the Middle East before returning to the UK.

He is booked to appear at The Witham for Funny Way to Be Comedy and also performs at Stockton Arc on Tuesday, April 12, under the auspices of promoters Ten Feet Tall.

After more than 20 years as a stand-up comedian, Djalili is one of the most recognisable comics in the country, notching up countless television appearances including Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You, and The Royal Variety Performance.

The new season at Funny Way To Be Comedy starts with anarchist cook George Egg's comedy cooking show on Saturday, January 30.

Saturday, April 16, sees Mark Thomas in stand-up comedy, journalism and mayhem followed by The Witham's first Edinburgh double bill, Rhys James and Lloyd Griffith, previewing new shows on Saturday, May 21.

TV personality and stand-up – and former MP – Gyles Brandreth is billed for July 2 with his new show Word Power!

Peter Dixon, of promoters Funny Way To Be, said: "Our philosophy in developing what is recognised as one of the best comedy clubs in the North-East has been to offer shows that showcase a great cross-section of comedy styles and, of course, always of the highest quality. Our early 2016 season is no exception.

"The performers have one thing in common, though, in that they are each multifaceted. George Egg's show was a sell-out hit at last year's Edinburgh Festival and will be of great interest to cookery lovers as well as comedy fans. "

Tickets are available from funnywaytobe.com.

Graham Ramsay of Ten Feet Tall, who works alongside Arc to bring comedy to Teesside, said: “We’re really excited to be bringing Omid Djalili to Stockton. He generally plays bigger rooms than this, but we heard a whisper that he was doing a few low key dates in the spring, so we jumped right in there. It’s a bit of coup for ARC, as it’s a pretty intimate gig by his standards."

Stockton comedy fans will also welcome Rob Beckett on May 14 and Russell Kane on June 4.

For tickets, call the Arc box office on 01642 525199 or book at arconline.co.uk.