The Brighton Dome Comedy Festival kicks off this weekend on Friday, October 17 and runs until Sunday, October 26. The line up boasts everything from TV favourites to upcoming names and is jam-packed with laugh appeal. We've picked out some highlights to look out for.

 

Australian comedian Lou Wall brings her new show Breaking The Fifth Wall to Brighton. Wall tried to sell a bed online a while ago and soon became embroiled in a knotty tangle of negotiations. She turned it into an online post which went viral and now she tells the story behind the story. A fascinating contemporary tale about the online world as well as a cautionary tale about trying to sell old furniture to strangers. (Studio Theatre, October 17).

 

The biggest show of the Festival has to be the Live at Brighton Dome. How's this for a bill – Ed Gamble, Lucy Beaumont, Rhys James, Limahl Germain and Amy Gledhill. Off Menu star Gamble is joined by Lucy Beaumont who is set to be one of the highlights of Celebrity Traitors. Rhys James is best known for his gags on Mock the Week. Rising star Limahl Germain and Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Amy Gledhill complete the evening. (Concert Hall, October 18).

 

Chris McCausland really needs no introduction. the winner of Strictly Come Dancing is back onstage doing his first love of stand-up in his show Yonks! The title comes from the fact that people think he's an overnight success when in fact he's been doing comedy for, well, yonks. Settle back and enjoy a master of the craft. (Concert Hall, October 21).

 

Nina Conti, who recently popped up in Spinal Tap II, is back onstage in Whose Face Is It Anyway?, in which she brilliantly improvises material with members of the audience. And don't worry if you are selected, you don't have to do anything. Ventriloquist Conti will put a mask on your face and make you funny. (Concert Hall, October 25).

 

Joanne McNally is part-comedian, all-force of nature. In her latest show, Pinotphole, she dissects what it is like being an early fortysomething singleton with absolute comic precision. From the moment she steps onstage there is no letting up, this London-based Irish comic is a consummate crowdpleaser. (Concert Hall, October 24).

 

Newcomer Lily Phillips performs her show Crying following a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe. Phillips recently became a mother and while the show is ultimately a celebration of mumhood she doesn't flinch from the difficult bits, finding the funny side of the pain of pregnancy. If you are a mother you'll find this hilariously relatable. If you aren't you'll just find this hilarious. (Studio Theatre, October 25).

 

Other comedy recommendations include smart/angry Jen Brister (October 17, Concert Hall) and passionate/political Josie Long (Corn Exchange, October 23). Local resident Suzi Ruffell (pictured below) will be popping in twice with her latest show The Juggle about balancing career, parenting and everything else (Corn Exchange, October 22 & 24).

 

 

And that's certainly not all. The festival also features Richard Ayoade talking about his latest book (Corn Exchange, October 26), Romesh Ranganathan and Tom Davis doing a live version of their hit podcast Wolf & Owl (Concert Hall, October 25)

 

Plus workshops and shows for family and children including Olaf Falafel (Studio Theatre, October 26) and Bleeped - a proper stand-up show with the rude bits taken out featuring Spencer Jones, Amy Annette, Jin Hao Li and Will Duggan (Corn Exchange, October 25).

 

To say there is something here for everyone might just be the understatement of the decade. If you live in Brighton make sure you catch something. If you don't live in Brighton, make plans to go there between October 17 and October 26.