FUNNY Way To Be Comedy at Barnard Castle has announced details of the club's summer season which includes regular favourites and comedians headed to this year’s Edinburgh Festival.

The season starts on Saturday, June 10, with award-winning raconteur Gyles Brandreth in a new show, Looking for Happiness, following his sell-out appearance at the Witham last year.

On Friday, June 24, in the first of the Edinburgh Festival previews, John Kearns and Lauren Pattison will debut new Fringe sets offering a rare chance to see Fosters Edinburgh Best Newcomer and Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Kearns in this region.

Pattison is a BBC New Comedy Award finalist who supported Katherine Ryan on tour.

In one of the most energetic shows ever performed at the club, Storage Hunters star Sean Kelly brings Sold Your Way! to Barnard Castle on Thursday, July 6. He will relay the hilarious story of his life, from holding Top Secret military clearance to becoming a celebrity auctioneer.

The show will include a charity auction for Help for Heroes.

Edinburgh-bound Hal Cruttenden, Jan Ravens, Howard Read and Joseph Morpurgo stop off in the town to give a series of shows on Saturday, July 15. Tickets are available individually or as a day pass for £25.

Cruttenden (5pm, £8) is one of today's top comedians having appeared on TV and Radio 4 comedy shows and at the Royal Variety Performance.

Dead Ringers' Jan Ravens (6.30pm, £8) presents her highly-anticipated debut Edinburgh show, observing contemporary characters such as Theresa May and Diane Abbott.

The world's first human/cartoon double act, award-winning duo Big Howard Little Howard (8pm, £7) return with their first show for adults.

Joseph Morpurgo (9.30pm, £7) is a comedian, writer and improviser. His previous show was nominated for the Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Award and named number one comedy show of 2015 by Time Out.

On Saturday, July 22, Jo Caulfield and Brennan Reece offer a double bill of wit, acerbic observations and scandalous one-liners. Saturday, July 29, brings young comics, Geordie Carl Hutchinson and Daniel Simonsen.

Peter Dixon, of Funny Way to Be, said: “We're thrilled to be hosting such fantastic comics before they head up to the Fringe and giving local fans an unmissable opportunity to see brilliant comedy."