FOUR top UK comedians headed for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival will stop off in Barnard Castle in July.

Following last year's Edinburgh preview day success, the Funny Way To Be comedy club will present new shows at The Witham on the evening of Saturday, July 15.

The comedians are Hal Cruttenden, Jan Ravens, Howard Read and Joseph Morpurgo. Tickets are available for individual shows and there is a discounted pass for all four.

Shows start at 5pm with Hal Cruttenden: Work In Progress (£8). The comedian, writer and actor has performed stand-up from Belgium to Bahrain, winning acclaim for his edge of midlife crisis comedy as well as hsi darts at modern absurdities. He has appeared on the Royal Variety Performance and as a regular on TV comedy shows.

Impersonator Jan Ravens follows at 6.30pm with Difficult Woman (£8), her Edinburgh debut one-woman show observing various characters including Theresa May and Diane Abbott.

At 8pm, Big Howard Little Howard: Man and Boy (£7) offers new material by comic, writer, animator and actor Howard Read.

Joseph Morpurgo in Hammerhead (£7) gives the final show at 9.30pm. He has a string of awards and five-star reviews for surreal set-pieces, vivid writing, subliminal signals – and monsters.

A day pass costs £25. This and individual tickets are available from funnywaytobe.com. Suitable for 16+.