Funny Way To Be announce Russell Howard work-in-progress show

Russell Howard will bring a work-in-progress show to the North East in November, Giggle Beats can reveal.

Howard, who normally performs in arenas, will play the 250-seater Witham Hall in Barnard Castle on Saturday 9 November for Funny Way To Be Comedy Club.

It will be Howard’s first ever appearance in Barnard Castle.

Peter Dixon, of Funny Way To Be Comedy Club, said: “I am thrilled that in preparation for his first live tour in three years Russell Howard has asked to come to our club.

“It’s testament to the success we have had over the last three years producing shows that have been enjoyed by audiences and artists alike.”

The Teesdale date is part of a series of work-in-progress shows ahead of Howard’s Wonderbox arena tour.

He last toured in 2011, playing two sold-out shows at the 11,000-seater Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle.

“The fact that a few weeks after he tries out his tour material with us Russell will be selling out venues like the Newcastle Metro Arena, The London 02 and The Royal Albert Hall is incredibly exciting,” Dixon said.

“It really puts the rural town of Barnard Castle firmly on the comedy map.”

Howard joins a host of big names coming to Funny Way To Be in the coming months, including Chris Ramsey and Jason Cook, creator of the BBC2 sitcom Hebburn.

Working in partnership with Funny Way To Be, Cook will programme and host the club’s final show of the year at the Witham Hall on Saturday 14 December.

Series two of Hebburn concludes filming today.

Tickets for Russell Howard: Wonderbox (WIP) go on sale at 10am on Monday 30 September from funnywaytobe.com, priced £10.