THE chuckle muscles were given an extended workout when some of the country’s brightest new comedians took to the stage in Darlington.

The final of the Hilarity Bites competition saw the cream of the acts from a series of heats go head-to-head in a sort of stand-up joke-off.

The evening was expertly compered by Chris Ramsey, from South Shields, South Tyneside, whose banter with the audience provided a perfect entree to the comedy treats to come.

The six finalists comprised two Englishmen, two Irishmen and two Scotsmen – I’m sure there’s a joke in there somewhere.

Among the hopefuls was local lad Tom Tolson, originally from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, and now a mature student in Manchester.

His carefully-crafted act was a sizzling high-energy rant at the hand life has dealt him. It hit the spot with the audience, and earned him third place.

Glaswegian Ray Bradshaw, the eventual runner-up, delivered his lines superbly throughout his ten-minute slot.

The audience quickly warmed to the laidback and self-deprecating style of the likeable ginger-haired youngster.

But the competition winner, Irishman Andrew Ryan, stood out. He immediately endeared himself to the crowd by pointing out his uncanny resemblance to Ardal O’Hanlon’s bemused Father Dougal McGuire.

Originally from Cork, Manchester-based Ryan continued to win friends with his wry observations on subjects such as his friend, “two-legs Liam”, and unlikely postings on a dating website.

His unhurried delivery and distracted manner made him a surefire winner and marks him out for greater things.

The evening was rounded off with a polished performance from last year’s winner Sam Gore.

Darlington is fast gaining a reputation as a hotspot for stand-up comedy and, on the evidence of this evening, I can understand why.