Jesterval 2015: 5 shows for a fiver

Jesterval, the North East’s biggest comedy festival, returns to Gateshead on Friday with a bucket-load of ace shows. With prices ranging from zilch to £13 there’s pretty much something for everyone in the line-up – but most shows are around the £5 mark. With that in mind, here’s five shows you can, and should, see for a fiver.

ALFIE JOEY & CAL HALBERT: THE IMITATION GAME, Saturday 6 June, 4.30pm, £5, 16+

Alfie Joey and Cal Halbert, two of the region’s most affable comics, perform a whirlwind hour of voices, characters and spot-on impressions. If you thought you couldn’t afford to see John Bishop, Alan Carr, or Andy Murray, then fear not; your top two topical mimic men will have them all in the same show! Fun for all, for only a fiver. Our preview. Details.

TIERNAN DOUIEB: THE WORLD’S FULL OF IDIOTS, LET’S LIVE IN SPACE, Sunday 7 June, 10.45pm, £5, 16+

In a new hour of stand-up, professional cheery misanthrope Tiernan Douieb wonders why we have to send people quite so far away to have that realisation, and just how feasible is it to fire a large portion of the world into space until they behave. Expect jokes, politics and despair. Details.

SEYMOUR MACE: NICHE AS F***, Tuesday 9 June, 7.45pm / £5 / 16+

Surreal Geordie genius Seymour Mace is back at Jesterval with another daft hour. The show’s description gives little away – “space, ninja, chicken, skellington, gravy, frog, fruit, super, fantastic, circus, strange, journey” – but we expect it’ll be ace. Details.

GEIN’S FAMILY GIFTSHOP: VOLUME 2, Tuesday 9 June, 9.00pm, £5, 16+

Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer nominees Gein’s Family Giftshop (Ed, Kath, Jim, and the one you never see) are darker, faster, and funnier than ever before, wielding an hour of brand new sketches that aren’t for everyone but might just be for you. As heard on BBC Radio 4 and Inside No. 9. Details.

LEE RIDLEY: ASK LOST VOICE GUY, Wednesday 10 June, 6.30pm, £5, 16+