STAND-UP returns to Ulverston as Planet Mirth is back at the Laurel & Hardy Museum this September.

By Karl Steel ( email )

The fifth instalment of the Friday Night Live spin-off takes place on Friday 16, and sees regular host Colin Manford lead a line-up of highly-rated comedy circuit favourites.

Headlining the show is Tony Burgess, who is best recognised for his starring role alongside Johnny Vegas in the BBC Three hit sitcom Ideal.

As well as being a writer on the show, he also had his own seven-part sitcom, The Visit, broadcast on both BBC Three and BBC One, while his live credentials include the 1993 North West Comedian Of The Year title, and a runner up prize in the So You Think You’re Funny competition at the Edinburgh Festival.

He’s played all the established clubs in the UK, performed as far away as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and supported household names including Jenny Eclair and Johnny Vegas on national theatre tours.

Also on the bill is Marvyn Dickinson, who when he’s not acting on shows such as Hollyoaks, Emmerdale and Coronation Street, is starring on the stand-up circuit, recently bagging the New Comedian of the Year 2015 title at the Hull Comedy Festival.

One of Cumbria's hottest prospects on the circuit is Tom Little, and he makes his debut at Planet Mirth having won the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year, and also had successes at the Edinburgh Fringe and reaching the finals of the BBC Radio New Comedy Award in 2014.

Another newcomer is Stephen Cookson, who started on the comedy trail in 2014 aged 47, but has since gone on to star in a number of prestigious competitions and finished runner-up in Nando’s New Comedian of 2015. This year he has supported Mock the Week regular Gary Delaney, and impressed in Bowness alongside Justin Moorhouse.

Compere once more is Colin Manford - a comedy club boss and brother of Jason Manford, he is an established stand-up in his own right and has supported the likes of Milton Jones on tour. Also a sought-after writer, actor and presenter, as a stand-up he’s enjoyed a growing reputation which has seen him booked not only in countries such as the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovenia, Malta and Romania but also the UK's top clubs.

The show on Friday September 16 starts at 7pm, and tickets are available now from the Laurel & Hardy Museum booking office.