COMEDIANS from across the country will be descending on Darlington this summer as part of the town’s annual comedy festival.

The Darlington Comedy Festival will return next month with 19 shows taking place across the town throughout July.

Now in its sixth year, this year’s programme includes Spencer Jones, who has appeared on BBC’s Live at the Apollo, Patrick Monahan and Carl Hutchinson.

The festival is organised by Darlington based Hilarity Bites Comedy Club, and previous acts include include Sarah Millican, Chris Ramsey, Russell Kane, Tim Vine, John Bishop, and Jason Cook.

In a departure from previous years, most of the programme for this year’s festival takes place at one venue, with the upstairs of the Old English Gentleman acting as a central hub.

Events will also be held at Cougar’s Sports Bar, Hole in the Wall, The Pennyweight, and The Forum Music Centre.

The festival begins on July 1 with performances from Yorkshire-born Scott Bennett, George Rigden, and Freddy Quinne.

Another Darlington Comedy Festival favourite, the Hilarity Bites New Act of the Year competition, will help round off the festival at Hole In The Wall on Monday, July 24, as the winner of the tenth installment of the competition is named.

Neil Jollie, festival director, said: “This is the sixth annual Darlington Comedy Festival, and I’m really pleased with the line-up we’ve managed to secure this year.

“We’ve got the cream of local comedy performing preview shows, joined by a load of comedy award winners and nominees - from names that people will recognise from TV and radio, to relatively unknown acts that we can guarantee will be stars of the future.

“There really is something for everyone - from the casual comedy fan to the comedy nerd, from people that like to see TV names in the flesh, to those prepared to take a gamble on people they’ve not heard of.

“July in Darlington is going to be a laugh a minute,” he added.

Tickets for all shows are on sale now, and organisers say the “vast majority” of shows will cost just £5.

For more information and to see the full line up of events, visit darlingtoncomedyfestival.co.uk.