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For the past five years Hilarity Bites have brought the biggest and best names in comedy to Darlington, including John Bishop, Sarah Millican, Reginald D Hunter and Russell Kane. In July 2012, Hilarity Bites celebrate their fifth birthday with the inaugural Darlington Comedy Festival, kicking off with this charity gala show on July 2nd.

Raising money for Butterwick Hospice, Darlington Association on Disability, St Teresa’s Hospice and Daisy Chain, the gala will feature a collection of audience favourite acts that have performed over the past five years.

Names already confirmed for the show include Pete Firman from BBC’s The Magicians, Jason Cook, Dan Nightingale, Gary Delaney, Dave Twentyman, Andrew Ryan, Chris Ramsey and special guests Duncan Oakley and the brilliant Sarah Millican.

Pete Firman

'A comedian and magician. You might have seen him on the telly in Channel 4's 'Dirty Tricks', five's 'Monkey Magic' and Sky One's 'The Secret World of Magic'. He has travelled the world performing his own brand of anarchic magic and now you can catch him performing live. 'He's the bastard son of Jackass and Paul Daniels' (Metro) 'The new poster bot for British comedy magic' (The Daily Telegraph). 'Firman is responsible for making it socially acceptable to say that you like magic again' (The Guardian).
Pete Firman tour dates

Jason Cook

Be ready for pretty much anything when Jason Cook takes to the stage. Behind his cheerful Geordie exterior lurks a dark, sharp comedic mind capable of taking an unsuspecting audience to places they didn't want to go. Dwarves, newspaper vendors, the toilets at raves, true-to-life stories that drag you in and won't let go. Cook is close to the edge but always intriguing and blessed with the sort of charm that'll have you laughing in spite of yourself.
Jason Cook tour dates

Chris Ramsey

Nominated for the hugely prestigious Fosters' Edinburgh Comedy Awards, Chris Ramsey has experienced a meteoric rise to the top since appearing on the comedy circuit in 2009. He has previously appeared on 8 Out of 10 Cats, (Channel 4), Show and Tell (E4), Comedy Rocks (ITV1) and Russell Howard's Good News (BBC3), and is soon to be seen on Celebrity Juice (ITV2), Argumental (Dave) and Richard Bacon's Beer and Pizza Club (ITV4).
Chris Ramsey tour dates

Dave Twentyman

Dave Twentyman's burgeoning reputation means that he can now confidently consider himself one of his home town of St Helens’ finest exports, tales of home, work and the universe are delivered in a stream of consciousness both mesmerizing and friendly.
Dave Twentyman tour dates

Andrew Ryan

Since 2008, Andrew Ryan has been bringing "an abundance of charm" (Manchester Evening News) to comedy clubs around the UK. The Cork native immediately gets audiences on-side with a likable, bewildered style described as "impossible not to warm to" (Chortle).
Andrew Ryan tour dates

Gary Delaney

Gary Delaney is a razor sharp one-liner comedian, who is widely regarded as being the most quotable comic on the circuit. The high quantity of stand out gags leaves the audience struggling to remember them all. He regularly plays all the big clubs including The Comedy Store, Highlight, Jongleurs, Komedia, Glee, Rawhide, The Frog and Bucket, Hyena, Baby Blue, The Stand, Comedy Café, Lee Hurst's Backyard, Banana Cabaret and headlines at clubs throughout the UK. Gary is a regular guest on Mock The Week and has also recently appeared on Dave's 'One Night Stand', Comedy Central's 'Comedy Blue' and on Channel 4's 'Robert's Web' as well as Radio 4's 'Loose Ends' and Radio 2's 'Russell Kane's Whistle-Stop Tour'. His debut show 'Purist' was a big hit at the Edinburgh Festival in 2010, selling out every night and receiving many four and five star reviews. "Expect a cavalcade of brilliantly inventive puns from this master of the one-liner, a craftsman to be ranked along with likes of Tim Vine and Milton Jones" - The Guardian.
Gary Delaney tour dates

Dan Nightingale

Dan is a huge star of the national circuit and is a resident compere and act at Manchesters Famous Frog and Bucket Comedy Club. He is an act not to be missed!
Dan Nightingale tour dates

Duncan Oakley

With musical skills that would easily fit into many rock bands, Duncan Oakley performs an infectious mix of musical comedy and stand up with one of his trusty guitars - Maurice (Fender Strat), No.7 (acoustic) or The Lezza (his Les Paul) by his side. With an eye and ear for the silly, rude, playful and downright irritating occurrences of life, Duncan musters up songs that don't just make you laugh, they bury into the recesses of your mind and find you humming a tune with a smile on your face 3 days later, confused and wondering where it's come from.
Duncan Oakley tour dates

Sarah Millican

Stand-up comedian and writer from North East England. At the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Millican won the if.comedy award for Best Newcomer. Since then, she has appeared on several television and radio shows including BBC1's Live At The Apollo and BBC2's Mock the Week.
Sarah Millican tour dates